Hero from the frozen Mountain
by FapTime
Summary: Ash Ketchum. Pride of Pallet Town and an aspiring Pokemon Master. After his performance in the Sinnoh league, he is forced to stay out of the society and fulfill yet another task as Arceus's chosen one. Aura Ash, Ash/Cynthia, Rayshipping.
1. Prologue I: Facing fears

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Pokemon or any of these characters. But all of you alredy know that.**

 **Author's note: Well. Here it is. My first story published on to the internet. And it is about Pokemon anime. And I loved Diamond and pearl series. Ash is finally acting more mature, doesn't forget on his old pals at the Oak's lab and the battles were intense. That was a great progress with the show. But then Unova happened and everything that Ash learned went out of the window. So I will be reimagening that in this story. Let's just pretend that Unova, Kalos and Alola hadn't happened yet. I will try to make this story more humorous with romance in it. It will have some drama, but nothing spectacular. If you hadn't read the summary this story should tell you with who will he end up with.**

 **Ash here will be more of a witty, sarcastic character than he was in the anime to make him more interesting. In the prologue here he will be 13 years old. And I will definitely be using his Aura abilities to make him badass. There was so much potential with aura too... But that will come later.**

 **And I want to apologize for mistakes that are in there. I am not an English native speaker so I am sure that there are mistakes. I ran this story through some grammar corrector, but still. M rating is in place just for safety. Some curse words may be heard here and there.**

"classic conversation"

 _"thoughts"_

 **That is all for now. Enjoy.**

* * *

 **Prologue I: Facing fears**

"And the winner of the quarter-final match is Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town!" proclaimed of the Lily of the Valley Conference said enthusiastically.

Upon saying those words whole arena went nuts. Even though most of the audience aren't Pokemon trainers, they can acknowledge a great fight. And great fight it was indeed. The final battle between Infernape and Electivire was one of the most heated fights in this years Sinnoh League. And fans absolutely love that kind of battles. After a few minutes stadium finally calmed down.

"We did it Infernape! You were amazing!" said happy Ash, as he ran to his tired fire comrade.

"Fer nape." bruised monkey Pokemon replied happily before his legs gave up and he starts to falling to the ground only to be caught and supported by Ash.

"Take it, easy buddy. You deserve very long rest." said Ash to his tired Sinnoh powerhouse with a smile on his face.

There was a moment of silence in the stadium until. "Electivire return."

Ash's opponent and rival, Paul, recalled his fainted Electivire without a word. Which was rather surprising, due to the fact that when his Pokemon lost, he always said some nasty stuff to them. But he didn't to Electivire. In fact. None of his Pokemon were on the receiving end of his harsh words today. "He has a heart after all." chuckled Ash to himself. As these thoughts were running through his head, Paul made his way to him. And to his surprise, he offered a handshake. To the others, it may not be a big deal, just a casual sign of a good will and a good fight. But to Ash, it was more. It was a sign of acknowledgment which he never received from Paul. In their previous fights, he never shook his hand. Not once. So naturally, Ash gladly took it and shook it.

"Great battle Paul. I thought you had me there for a second." said Ash in his joyful tone.

"That would make two of us." replied Paul in his classical monotone voice.

"And here I thought that I would live to see some recognition from you after this" said Ash back.

"As painful as it is for me to say it, I respect you as a trainer." said Paul in his monotone voice again.

That was a little unexpected. But welcomed nonetheless. It was all that Ash ever wanted to hear from him. And it finally happened.

"Thank you." said Ash in a serious way. And after this, the two trainers gave each other a smile and parted ways to the different exits of the stadium, with Ash still supporting the champion of this fight and with his best buddy Pikachu on his shoulder, who just watch the whole exchange between two rivals with a smile on his face.

Meanwhile, in the VIP box, there were two smiling and clapping people which joined the clapping audience to pay tribute to an awesome battle that just took place here.

* * *

It was very late in the evening and a moon was hidden behind clouds. It was around 10:30 pm and Cynthia Shirona, the Sinnoh Champion made her way to her favorite ice cream stand on the Lily of the Valley island. It was unlikely that the stand would still be open. But she needed a long evening walk after today to cool herself off anyway. Opened ice cream stand would be just a cherry on the top of this refreshing chilly evening. It was a long and exhausting day for the Sinnoh Champion. To oversee all the quarter-final matches isn't the hardest job to do. She knows that. But the weather in the Sinnoh region is unusually warm this season. And sitting whole day in that VIP box of hers with Charles Goodsnow and be crammed on by those damned sun rays is really tiring. To top it all of, this weather should last the whole tournament! If this goes on and on she will be fried in that black coat of hers at the end of the Lily of the Valley Conference. Well, at least she has a good excuse for her addiction to eating ice cream all the time. _"God, I will have to exercise a lot more if the weather lasts until the end of this year conference. Those ice creams won't disappear by themselves."_ she thought, as she made her way for her record-breaking 16th cone of ice cream today. And hopefully, the last one.

"Ahh, Lady Shirona. A pleasure to see you here. Take your time as always." said a man in his forties as he pointed to the various ice creams his stand has to offer. Despite his age, he had long black hair to his shoulders, black mustache, and an oval face with green eyes. Overall he looked like a retired singer from some rock band with a white shirt, white pants and an apron. And a cap with an ice cream logo on it.

"Hello, Oswald. Thank you and call me Cynthia." Cynthia said in her soft, sweet yet a little serious tone.

"I don't think that is possible Lady Shirona." Oswald replied to the blonde beauty.

"You know that I don't like when you out of all people is formal with me." answered Cynthia in a serious voice.

"Well, you are the Champion of the Sinnoh region. It is my obligation to refer to you in some respectful way."

"You will never drop that will you?"

"Nope"

Cynthia just sighed at this. It is always like this. Oswald could be considered Cynthia's personal ice cream maker. Thanks to her appetite for ice cream, his ice cream stand is able to survive on just one customer. So if you see Cynthia somewhere, Oswald is always close by. It is a year and a half since they met and became friends and he still won't drop those titles. Lady Shirona, Champion Shirona, miss Shirona, the Ice Queen and many more titles they gave her. And it is not just Oswald who treats her like a royalty. And she hates this. She just wants to be Cynthia. A regular fifteen-year-old who is treated normally.

"So... I guess it will have to be lady Shirona again..." said Cynthia quietly with a sigh.

"Lady Shirona it is for today! So would you like to choose a flavor for your ice cream Lady Shirona?" said happy Oswald as he pointed at his stand.

"I have already chosen."

"Really? That's unusual."

Smiling Cynthia chuckled slightly and answered. "Well, I just want to cool myself after this unexpected sunny day. I would like to have one chocolate slope and one strawberry slope in one cone. Please."

Oswald then did his job and gave Cynthia the ice cream cone.

As she was eating her ice cream she asked Oswald one last question. "Oswald? Why do you have still open? I mean I went here and expected you to be closed off already."

As soon Oswald gave Cynthia the cone, he started packing his stuff into a cart. He stopped for a moment when she asked the question. "Ahhh yes, I planned to close 30 minutes ago. But then this young lad with Pikachu on his shoulder came by and asked for two cones of ice cream." said Oswald. "And few minutes after him you came here too."

This caught Cynthia's attention. She knows very well who is Oswald talking about. _"Ash Ketchum..."_. She then realized that she dozed off for a few seconds, with just a thought of his name. She quickly shook it off, paid Oswald, wished him good night and walked around the island with nothing in mind. Well, that's what she thought it would be like. Along the walk, certain black haired boy crawled his way inside her mind here and there despite Cynthia trying to resist those thoughts.

* * *

"It will be impossible Pikachu." this sentence brought Cynthia back to Earth from the walk and from her thoughts. Cynthia then looked in the direction of the sound and saw him. The lad with Pikachu on his shoulder was sitting on the bench in the backyard of the Pokemon Center 3B looking located on the training field. Curious where his conversation with his Pokemon will be heading, she began eavesdropping on them. When a curious archeologist meets the boy that unwillingly got into her mind you can expect her to spy on the said boy.

"Pikaaaaaa..." said sadly a little yellow rodent.

"You think that too huh." said the boy.

"Pika pi pi pika chu pi pikapi!" replied a Pokemon trying to explain something to his trainer.

"I know we did. But this guy... He is nothing like Brandon or Noland. His Darkrai is on the completely different level. I can feel it. And if he has Darkrai then God knows who else he has. Damn, he might have God himself. And don't get me wrong, I trust you guys. But we wouldn't last a second against Arceus." replied the boy to his yellow friend.

"Pika pika." said Pikachu with a laugh at the end.

"Yeah, that's probably a stretch. But still. Who knows what he has under that coat of his." said the boy as he looked into the ground. Then he resumed talking. "I will be honest with you Pikachu." And then he sadly looked at his Pokemon on his shoulder "for the first time in my journey, I think that I can't win a battle no matter how much I'll try."

"Pika?!" nearly shouted his Pokemon.

"I'm... I'm sorry buddy but think about it. We saw his matches. How could we possibly take down that Darkrai and then still win? He beat all the Gym leaders with just him. We saw that too this afternoon. Remember? Wolkner, Fantina, Crasher Wake... all of them. He took them all down in minutes. I- We can't beat him Pikachu!" in this defeated tone both the trainer and the Pokemon hung their heads low. Even Pikachu now started to realize that it was a lost battle already. Well, he already knew that, but he hoped that Ash would come up with something like he usually does. Seems like it is a dead end.

"We are on the same page now huh?" said the boy with his head still low.

"Pi..." and his little yellow companion just sadly nodded. Realizing that their chances of winning are zero.

"NO WE ARE DEFINITELY NOT ASH KETCHUM!" someone shouted really, REALLY loudly from behind of our two brooding heroes which startled them greatly. Pikachu was suddenly on the ground and Ash jerked his head back and hit the back of the bench.

"Ouch..." said the boy as he rubbed the back of his head "next time little louder, please. I think you haven't woke everyone up in the Pokemon Center." said the boy acidly.

"Pikachu chu pikachu pi pikapi!" yellow rodent lost it and started shouting clearly angry at the person behind them.

The person then revealed himself. Herself. Suddenly Ash's sarcastic remarks and Pikachu's shouting were calmed down. Before them in the light of the street lamps stood very angry and very beautiful girl. Now that Ash was looking at her he couldn't tell if she was more beautiful or more angry. Her incredibly long blonde hair was according to him just gorgeous. But that beautiful grey eye from behind those blonde hair was giving him an equally scary death glare.

Unknowingly to both of them Ash with a slight help of Cynthia just reawakened something that has been sleeping for thousands of years. And haven't been seen an equal amount of time. If the two humans would be paying attention to their bodies, they would register slightly painful sensation on the left and right side of their abdomen. But one was really angry and the other was in trance of shock and fear to notice that slight tension in their bodies.

Only after the thoughts of how beautiful and angry the woman looked Ash realized who she is. Pikachu's mind was a little faster in that department.

"I- I would- Ther-" Ash started to stutter. But few seconds after he regained himself. He is Ash Ketchum. Even if she is really gorgeous he would not stutter in front of her. That is not him! But more importantly. "Wait a minute! What is the Sinnoh Champion doing here in the middle of a night?" asked confused Ash.

"I am here to KNOCK SOME SENSE INTO YOU!" shouted Cynthia nearly waking up whole Pokemon Center again.

"Yeah. About that. I think that this wooden guy beat you in the knocking department." said Ash with sarcasm and knocked on the bench with one hand and rubbing his head with the other.

"ZIP IT ASH! FROM NOW ON YOU WILL SPEAK ONLY IF I'LL ASK YOU SOMETHING!" Cynthia was now losing it over the Pallet Town knucklehead. She didn't even care if someone heard her. She knows what person Ash is. Even when she knows him just a while she saw it in him the first time they met. That fighter. This whiny brat who gave up even before the battle started angers her to no end. This isn't Ash. She knows the real Ash. The one who goes against the odds. The one who never gives up. The one that battles to the last breath. This. This person who is before her isn't Ash Ketchum. It's just his poor image. She wants that battle-hardened warrior back she saw with her very own eyes in real life and on the computer screen. The one that she... admires. She shouldn't get this attached and frustrated, because of a person she knows only for a while. But the potential. She sees the great potential in Ash. Such an unpredictable trainer with strong Pokemon will get far. If he will stay on his path that is. And right now, he is going off this path. It's time for someone to get him back on the tracks.

 _"Okay, mum_ _."_ thought Ash as he looked at his yellow friend who climbed his way back on his shoulder. When Pikachu nodded to Cynthia's request he just sighed and nodded too.

Cynthia finally calmed down and sat right next to Ash and Pikachu. "Okay, Ash. Sorry for my little outburst. But you depreciate yourself too much. I think you can beat Tobias." she said in that soft calming voice of hers.

"How?" asked Ash.

"What did I say about the talking?" asked Cynthia in a dangerous tone.

"That goes for you Pikachu too." said Cynthia switching the to her sweet angelic tone. Giving Pikachu scratch behind his ear receiving cute "chaaaaaaaa" from the yellow mouse.

 _"Damn she is switching attitudes as fast as I am getting into troubles."_ thought Ash to himself and nodded to Cynthia's remark.

"Ash I don't know how exactly to beat him." she said and Ash just dropped his head looked at the ground beneath him. This isn't helpful at all. "But you have Pokemon strong enough to beat him" Ash now looked back at her with a glint of hope in his eyes. If Champion think that his Pokemon are strong enough to take him down under his leadership then maybe. Maybe. MAYBE. It could be possible. But then again. It could be a bunch of lies to soothe him.

"I saw your video records from your battles earlier. You have a lot of potential with the way you think on the battlefield. You are very unpredictable. You can cook delicious counterattacks from nothing. That is your biggest advantage against Tobias. And as for your Pokemon..."

"You just need to use your aces." well that wasn't Cynthia. Our trio looked behind them and saw none other than Ash's Sinnoh rival number one. Paul Shinji. And he looked sleepy. Cynthia's shouting woke someone up after all.

Ash was about to say something but Cynthia put her finger to his lips. "Nononono Ash, we have some rules aren't we?" Ash was surprised by this act but went along with it. And, in a weird way, he even enjoys Cynthia shushing him. _"Why? Why is her finger so soft and smell so good. Wait. What?! Arceus what in the name of... well... Arceus, is wrong with me!"_ Ash thought before getting his attention back to the topic at hand.

Paul was surprised that Cynthia and Ash were sitting on the bench together in the middle of the night and he decided not to comment on that but rather on the conversation that they were having. "I was expecting them against myself but you withhold them. And it nearly cost you the victory. When you released your 3rd Pokemon I realized that I will not have the pleasure to fight against them."

Cynthia looked back at Ash "He is right you know. I watched your matches and Paul did too. That Charizard of yours. He took down Articuno. He could take down Darkrai. And Sceptile. He is as fast as a bullet. Brandon's Regirock had a hard time against him even though you were not yourself." she said. Watching that battle was terrifying to Cynthia. It sends shivers down her spine just by thinking about it. Now that she thinks about it, she doesn't even know why she was so interested in Ash Ketchum. He was just another trainer when she met him, but something about him just clicked and she had to feed her desire for information about him. And after she saw his videos, it was clear that he was no ordinary Pokemon trainer. A trainer with a great potential.

"And from your stats on the official Pokemon League website, your Snorlax is really dangerous opponent too." said Paul before asking an important question.

"Why do you think that you can't beat him?"

Ash looked sadly at Cynthia. Cynthia nodded and with a warm smile she encouraging him to answer. "I am afraid. OK? Tobias can have anything. ANYTHING with him. How can I prepare myself for battle when I don't know what should I prepare for. The only certainty in this is his Darkrai. And even him is incredibly strong. Stronger than Brandon's Regi trio or Noland's Articuno. I can't fight against this. Maybe I can take that Darkrai down. But at what cost? It will take at least 3-4 of my Pokemon to take him down. I can't win with half of my team out!" said Ash sadly, but loudly and he returned back to keeping his mouth shut until Cynthia asks again. Pikachu, who was mesmerized by the beauty of Cynthia's blonde hair couldn't resist and decided to jump onto her head. But it was not just the hair that caused Pikachu to jump there. Pikachu doesn't know what to say to Ash right now. But maybe Cynthia will now. And to give her the push to say something to his trainer that would pull him out of this depression, he jumped on her. It surprised Cynthia, but Pikachu was light and she didn't mind. Pikachu even grabbed her hair with his paws and lied down on top of her head.

Paul looked at Pikachu on Cynthia's head and then back at Ash who was now observing Paul carefully before Paul started speaking "Look. I think that you can do it. And I hate you. That should say you something. And you have a freaking champion of Sinnoh herself saying you that you can do it. You just forgot how powerful your Pokemon from the other regions are. Your aces took the legendary Pokemon once. What makes you think that they can't do it again? I bet my Pokemon, my house, my brother, my future wife and children that if you would put that Sceptile of yours or that monstrous Charizard of yours against Darkrai that one of them would certainly win. You just don't realize it yet. That Darkrai isn't invincible. No one is. Even if that dude would throw an Arceus at you. Arceus can be beaten too from the stories I heard. All you need to do is what you always did. Be unpredictable. Can't you predict his team? Yes. But you can predict his moves. I'm sure you know what his favorite combo is. He can't predict your Pokemon too since you have so many of them. But more importantly. He can't predict your moves. No one can. And that is why I copied your style in the quarter-finals. It is god damn hard to fight against it. So stop being a fucking crybaby and just flummox his head as you always do to your opponents and win is yours." Paul finished his long speech. But not before adding one simple line. "Even that mouse think you can do it." he said as he pointed to Pikachu laying on Cynthia's head with his paws holding her hair, both smiling at Ash.

"Pi pika pi!" shouted his longest partner from the top of his little lungs while still holding Cynthia's hair with one paw.

"Couldn't have said it myself better Paul. Just believe in yourself as we believe in you and you are going to win. So. What do you say?" said Cynthia to Ash.

Ash was on the verge of tears when he looked at Pikachu on top of Cynthia's head. Those were some good speeches that they presented to him. And of course, they were right. Most of Ash's wins were due to his unusual tactics in battles. Being able to do the unthinkable. That was his thing. And if he could pull something even more unthinkable on the battlefield two days from now, then he could really pull the win off. Bring the best of the best, come up with some crazy strategies and moves and he could battle against anything. This is who he is. Ash Ketchum. The definition of the word unpredictable.

Ash finally, looked at his friends and said to all three of them. "Thanks. I needed that." But then he added one of his sarcastic remarks. "But Paul. Next time when you'll be betting something, bet something realistic. You finding a wife? The hell will freeze before that."

"Aaaaaand I regret helping you already." said Paul with a chuckle, which was very rare for him. But at least he can take a joke.

Cynthia, on the other hand, conjured another lovely smile. This is who Ash is. Not that whiny, depressed and insecure guy she saw earlier. She just has one last question for him.

"Now for my last question. What are you going to do?"

"Win this conference."

* * *

 **Author's note: Sooooo yeah. That's how I started. I thought that this chapter will have the maximum of 2000 words. BOY WAS I WRONG. Hope you guys will like it. The next chapter should be the battle between Ash vs Tobias and Dawn and Brock will finally appear.**

 **Reviews are appreciated.**


	2. Prologue II: The Unpredictable

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Pokemon or any of these characters.**

 **Author's note: Sooo here is another Chapter. Hope you will like it.**

"classic conversation"  
 _"thoughts"  
_ **"commentator"  
** " _ **pokedex**_ "

 **That is all for now. Enjoy.**

* * *

 **Prologue II: The Unpredictable**

Training. That was all Ash thought about those two days. Training field in the backyard was transformed from a plain field to what could be called a rock field. Hopefully, he won't have to pay for that. His Pokemon went to hell and back numerous times when he trained them. It was brutal by Ash's standards. However. He knew those six can endure it. And he was right. Their training ended about an hour ago. Including Ash's training with them. That was another thing. Ash went through this ridiculous regime with them. He would never leave them in this alone. If they are going to taste the hell itself, they will do it together. Right now Ash was sitting on the bench waiting for his Pokemon to recover in the Pokemon Center from this. He was sitting on the same bench, where he received his pep talk from Cynthia and Paul. But pep talk wasn't on his mind right now. Ash was just sitting there. Tired. Sweating. Sore. It was not pleasant. Through this training, Ash discovered muscles that he thought were long forgotten in his body. _"I am such a masochist."_

"Ash, dinner is ready." voice of Brock Harrison echoed through the empty field. _"I'm glad this is over"_ though the Pokemon breeder. He wasn't there when he received the pep talk from Cynthia and Paul. Ash didn't tell him what they were talking about either. The only thing that he shared was that he got a pep talk. But whatever it was, it had to be something serious. They were training basically 24/7. No words from him or Dawn could convince him to take a break for a while. They were worried about him and his Pokemon. But today has came, and with that end of this torture. Tomorrow's the battle. So finally it's time for a nice rest.

"Arghhh... I... I..." Great. Now he can't even talk properly. He probably should take a break which Brock was suggesting these days.

"You outdid yourself those 2 days" said Brock calmly.

"Ye... Yeah.." is the only word that left Ash's mouth.

"Need a hand?" asked Brock.

"I... wou... would... prefer... n... new... legs... instead"

Brock could only chuckle at this. He looked like a dead man and he still jokes about this. Brock lifted him up and wrapped Ash's arm around his shoulder. "Sorry Ash. They are not in stock. Old man Brocko will have to do." and with this Brock and Ash made their way into the Pokemon Center.

"Thank you... Brock." said Ash weakly during the walk and flashed Brock a weak smile.

Two hours later Ash was finally clean, rested and ready for the dinner. Brock helped Ash with his bruises and let him rest for a while. Two of them finally made their way to the kitchen, where familiar blunnete was baking her famous pokepuffs.

"Where were you? The dinner is already cold! " asked Dawn. "And what happened to you, Ash?" asked Dawn, when she saw a bruise on Ash's arm.

"...Legs were not in stock." Ash answred nervously.

"... Should I ask?" said Dawn with a sigh.

"Ash went overboard with his training. Just like yesterday." replied Brock to an unanswered question.

"Brock?! You are not supposed to turn me in like that!" said disappointed Ash with sadness. But Brock just shrugged it off.

Dawn could only loudly sigh. Sometimes Ash is most destructive to himself. "Let's talk about it upon the dinner you made."

And as the youngest member of the Sinnoh gang told, they put their meals into a microwave and shortly after they dug into Brock's delicious dinner. Dinner was accompanied by laughs, cheers and talks about Ash's tomorrow battle.

Brock and Dawn already went to bed, but Ash had one obligation to make. He went to a counter in the Pokemon Center to check one last thing before tommorow's battle.

"Nurse Joy? Are my Pokemon healed and ready for the tomorrow?"

Before she answered Nurse Joy picked something from under the counter. "It took a while. But. They are ready Ash. Here they are."

* * *

" **Ladies and gentleman welco..."** It was 10:06 AM and commentator welcomed the audience and start to rouse the audience for today's match. People from all around the Pokemon world came here to see Darkrai. The living legend. None of them had a clue that they will be witnesses of something even more amazing. Our black-haired hero is now under the stadium. On the desk in front of him are 5 pokeballs and one Pokemon. This is it. Testament of their strength and their bond. _"Okay, guys. Let's do this"_ he thought before grabbing his pokeballs with his Pokemon and run to the platform to get ready for today's battle.

" **...In the red corner, we have our crowd favorite. The person who hasn't lost a single battle. A man that has the legendary Darkrai at his disposal. Give it up for Tobias!"** announced commentator energetically. And immediately after that whole stadium roared and cheered for their favorite.

" **And in the green corner, we have a young man from a faraway Kanto region. Pupil of professor Oak himself. Give it up for Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town!"** announced commentator energetically. Cheers and roars were heard for Ash too. But it was not even close to Tobias's. **"Well well well, it is grass field for today's battle. Will someone use this battlefield to its advantage?"** announced commentator as grass field was revealed.

When the commentator's introduction ended the referee then told them the usual rules for the battle. But it seemed none of the contestants were paying attention. They intently stared at each other.

"Trainer in the red corner. Please choose your first Pokemon." declared referee.

Without a word, Tobias threw his pokeball and released his Darkrai. Stadium cheered again at seeing the rare Pokemon.

"Sceptile, I choose you!" yelled Ash as he has chosen his first fighter.

"Darkrai vs Sceptile. Tobias has the first move. Begin!" said referee.

"Darkrai, Ice Beam!" said Tobias calmly.

"Sceptile, use Double Team!" shouted Ash immediately after him.

As Darkrai shot Ice Beam, there were already dozens of Sceptiles around him.

"Destroy them with Dark Pulse!" said Tobias. Again unfazed by the situation. It looked like he was toying with Ash. Letting him do these things.

"All of you up and use Leaf storm!" yelled Ash

Next thing that happened shocked nearly everyone in the audience. Sceptile's jumped into the air like a bullet shot straight out of gun and before anyone could blink, all of the Sceptiles's used leaf storm. Tobias surprised by this impressive display of speed failed to give a command in time. Giant package of leaves are circling around Darkrai, with some changing their course to Darkrai. But only the real one damaged Darkrai. Others flew through him. When the storm ended Tobias gave Darkrai another command.

"Darkrai Ice Beam on all of them again!" said Tobias hoping that he would at least eliminate few of the clones. But it was worthless. Sceptiles again dodged and sent another bunch of leaves at Darkrai damaging him a little. Tobias got intrigued a little. He felt excitement in his heart he though was long gone. All of his attacks are targeting one target. This wasn't a problem when Darkrai was the fastest one on the battlefield and just shot them all down. But now he wasn't fastest. To top it all of there are hills of leaves everywhere on the battlefield. Tobias smiled. _"This kid did his homework. But I did mine too!"_

"Darkrai spin around and use Dark Pulse and immediately after that Dark Void and Dream Eater combination!" said Tobias a little more seriously.

"You too?!" said irritated Ash. "Sceptile dodge it all!" yelled Ash.

Darkrai began spinning rapidly and his Dark Pulse was shot left and right. Sceptiles tried to dodge them all. But despite their efforts, only one Sceptile remained on the battlefield. And right after that Darkrai formed a black sphere in his hands and threw it at Sceptile who just finished dodging. He was caught in Dark Void. Dream Eater hit him a seconds after that. It was over.

That's what everyone thought. But the Sceptile, that fell to the ground, than immediately disappeared.

"Sceptile now! Solarbeam and immediately after that Brick break!" Ash yelled.

"What?" Tobias asked quietly, not showing the audience that he was indeed surprised.

Sceptile jumped out of the fake hill of leaves near Darkrai and hit Darkrai with Solarbeam from a point-blank range. He pummeled him into the ground with the powerful grass-type attack. Right after that, his two hands glowed white and after the Solarbeam attack, Darkrai received super effective Brick Break to his chest.

Smoke from the Solarbeam finally cleared and it revealed both Pokemon still standing against each other. But when Ash was ready to continue with a fight, Darkrai fell to the ground. With swirles in his eyes.

Referee himself hesitated a little. Waiting for Darkrai to get up again. But nothing happened.

"Darkrai is unable to battle. Send out your next Pokemon" announced baffled referee.

You could hear a pin drop in this crammed stadium. The whole stadium watched as their favorite Pokemon fell. And to his first opponent nonetheless. A few seconds commentator finally snapped from his shock.

" **I CANT BELIEVE IT FOLKS! ASH KETCHUM, PUPIL OF PROFESSOR OAK** **FROM PALLET TOWN** **ACHIEVED SOMETHING INCREDIBLE TODAY! HE DEFEATED DARKRAI! WITH ONLY ONE POKEMON!"** the commentator went absolutely crazy in his booth. His scream increased by microphone could be heard through the whole island.

The audience in the stadium was dead silent. None expected Darkrai to be defeated. They expected a fast battle. 6:0 in 10 minutes and go back home. Suddenly someone in the audience stood up and began clapping. In a matter of seconds, the whole stadium was on his feet and clapping.

* * *

 _Meanwhile in a small family house in Pallet Town_

"What... the.. fuck?!" shouted a young boy with spiky brown hair watching TV.

"Garry! Watch your language!" woman in her thirties with long brown hair scolded the teenager for his rude behavior.

"But- but look at this Delia! He just beat a legendary Pokemon. In ONE ON ONE BATTLE! That's just unbelievable!" said Gary back throwing his hands in the air with frustration.

"So. My little Ash did something amazing?" asked a confused Delia. She doesn't know much about Pokemon battles. Actually, she doesn't know much about Pokemon in general. When that ugly black Pokemon fell to the ground she begun clapping furiously. Just like she always does when Ash beats Pokemon. But it was only her. Others were silent. She wondered if her baby did something bad in the fight. Until Gary begun cursing...

"No Delia. He did something unthinkable Delia." announced the oldest in the room man with grey hair sitting between Delia and Gary on the couch.

"You should be very proud of him Delia." said a young man with a green T-shirt and shorts sitting on the sofa

"What are you talking about Tracey. I have been always proud of him. You should know that!" Delia increased her voice, sounding like a mother scolding a child.

"I ... I'm sorry Delia. I didn't mean it like that" Tracey apologized.

Few seconds after the apology oldest man in the room looked at Delia and spoke again "Delia. The only thing you need to know is that your boy just became famous. I would buy newspapers tomorrow if I were you." replied the man in a lab coat.

Huh, that's strange. Even though she doesn't understand Pokemon battles much, she knows that 0:1 for her son is a good score. Puzzled Delia then just looked back at the TV. There was a shot of her son just standing there with his Pikachu. Smiling. "Go for it Ash" she whispered very quietly as she teared up a little.

* * *

 _Meanwhile in the stadium_

"He did it! Go Ash! Go Ash. One is down 5 more to go!" Dawn was chanting in the stands in her standard cheerleading outfit.

"ASH I AM GOING TO SO FINE YOU FOR THAT. HOW DARE YOU TO DEFEAT DARKRAI BEFORE ME!" shouted furious blonde haired boy who was pointing to the battlefield dressed in striped T-shirt sitting next to Dawn.

"Barry?" said Paul in his monotone voice who was sitting right next to Barry. Big mistake on his part. He was so unfortunate that he was at the receiving end of Barry's scream.

"WHAT?" Barry shouted at Paul. Once again.

"Shut. The fuck. UP!" Paul raised his voice end emphasizing the last syllable.

"WHY WOULD I? DID YOU SEE Wha..." As their banter went on Brock, who was seated on the other side of Dawn was clapping calmly.

" _You've come far Ash"_ thought Brock to himself as he ignored the shouts next to him and just enjoyed the moment of his little brother.

"Brock?" asked the blunnete.

"Yes?"

"How did he do that?" she asked him. That jump from the pile of leaves was very surprising.

"Hmm... It's simple actually. When Sceptile dodged the second Dark Pulse Ash's Sceptile hide int the leaves and left a clone in his place. And since the leaves were fake sun rays went right through them. So Sceptile charged his Solarbeam and then wait in that pile on Ash's command to attack." explained Brock. And as he thought about it. It was a really smart plan. Seeing Ash maturing like this, it warms Brock's heart.

* * *

 _And in the VIP box_

"My oh my. I knew the boy was special as soon as I laid my eyes on him. But I never expected him to pull something like this off." said a little, old man in the VIP box. If he was a common man you could mistake him for a miniature version of Santa Claus. But he was one of the most recognizable men on the planet.

"He is amazing isn't he." said softly a blonde fifteen-year-old Sinnoh Champion in her usual black attire.

"That small talk of yours must've really helped him." answered Santa-like man happily.

"Yeah..." replied Cynthia in rather dreamy voice, which was unusual for the blonde. But then she realized something. "W-wait. H-how do you know this Charles. I haven't told anybody about it."

"Hihi. Sweetheart, I organized all of this. I have ears everywhere in case something would go wrong." said Charles. "You are quite fond of him aren't you Cynthia?" Charles winked at Cynthia.

"Wha- Whaaaaaaaat? No! No... It's not like that. I just... helped him. That's all." said embarrassed Cynthia in a high pitched voiced and a crimson blush across her cheeks.

"Whatever you say, dear." said chuckling Charles. It was a very rare sight to see a composed Sinnoh Champion in this state. It was funny for him. He learned to rejoice from small things. Like this moment.

"Hey there Champ, how are you doing?" said someone from behind them. There were 4 people in total next to him. The one man who asked the question had a red afro and a yellow shirt.

"Great, thanks, Flint. Did you enjoy your trip?" Cynthia asked The Fire member of her own Elite Four, who is 2 years older than her.

"It was great. You should visit Unova sometime. It is really spectacular. And those Pokemon. Uhmmmm. Just great!". Flint jumped on the seat next to Cynthia and as he began telling her his stories from that place.

"This is the report Charles. We think that in a year or two, Unova could host a championship of their own. Unova still needs to build a stadium and select gym leaders. But other than that, I think they have the qualities for their own conference." The slightly younger woman than our Santa came to him and gave him a file with papers in it.

"Thanks Bertha I really appreciate that you four took the trip." said thankfully Charles as he immediately begun scrolling through the files.

"Don't mention it. It's part of our jobs" replied Bertha the Earth member of the Elite Four.

"How's our competitor doing against Darkrai?" asked the quiet Psychic member of the Elite Four Lucian. On the battlefield stood Sceptile. All alone. With Darkrai nowhere to be seen.

"Well, Darkrai already fell to Ash's Sceptile." Cynthia informed her Elite Four mother-o-factly.

"HE DID WHAT?!" yelled the final member of the Elite Four. The Bug member Aaron, who, like his collague is two years older than Cynthia too.

"I think I misheard you Champ. Could you repeat that?" asked very confused Flint.

" _This will take some time to explain"_ thought Cynthia as she prepared herself for the cannonade of question from Aaron and Flint.

* * *

 _Back at the battlefield_

"I have to say I didn't expect you to take down my Darkrai so easily." said Tobias in what seemed like a happier tone.

"I will be honest with you. I kinda expected this. I had all of my Pokemon specially prepared for this situation." replied Ash in a cocky attitude, which was pretty uncommon for him. "But. The real battle begins now."

"Confident one aren't you... I like it." replied Tobias back in challenging tone. "Let's see what can you do against him!" said Tobias confidently and threw his pokeball into the air.

"Laaaaaaaaaaaa..." yelled the Pokemon in the stadium. The yell was more like a song. But the singing Pokemon was not what surprised the others. The jet-like Pokemon did few rounds around the stadium before landing in front of Sceptile with grace and aura of majesty.

" **THIS IS ABSOLUTE MADNESS! TOBIAS HAS ANOTHER LEGENDARY POKEMON AT HIS DISPOSAL. FOLKS! GIVE IT UP FOR THE MEMBER OF THE LEGENDARY EON DUO. LATIOS! HOW WILL ASH KETCHUM REACT TO THIS? CAN HE PULL OFF ANOTHER MIRACLE?"** the commentator in his booth yelled in his microphone louder than ever before.

The much bigger uproar was heard throughout the stadium this time. This is the lucky day for the ones that made their way to the Lily of the Valley island. They were greeted with not one but two legendary Pokemon. Huh. What are the odds?

Ash's closet people could only silently hope that he can pull it off again.

"Well. That's weird. I am surprised that you have Latios. But on the other hand, I am not surprised that you have Latios." said Ash to his opponent.

"I think I know what you are trying to say" replied chuckling Tobias _. "This is finally an exciting battle."_ thought mysterious trainer.

The frozen referee finally composed himself and proclaimed "Latios vs. Sceptile. Begin!"

"Latios, Dragon Pulse!"

"Sceptile, use Double Team"

As expected Dragon pulse hit the clone of Sceptile. But that is not what Tobias was going for. _"Let's find out who is faster now"_ thought Tobias.

"Latios, Steel Wing! Take them all out!" Tobias commanded.

"Block it with Brick Break!" Ash commanded. This will be hard. Ash always depended on Sceptile's speed. As Latios was going through clones of Sceptile, he realized that Latios will be a much tougher opponent than Darkrai. This was the unknown territory he was so afraid of before. But not anymore. _"Just look for the opening."_

Sceptile luckily blocked Latios's Steel Wing with Brick Break and as he blocked the Steel Wing and the impact sent him into the air. Thankfully, Sceptile managed to withstand the fall that followed and was ready for another attack as soon as his feet touched the ground.

"Latios Giga Impact!"

"Sceptile Spin" said Ash. Nobody knew what he was doing. There is not a move called Spin that a Pokemon can learn. Expect his 2 friends in the stands. They know what will happen. Sceptile jumped directly against the Giga Impact. Halfway through he began rapidly spinning It looked like an attack but it wasn't. Just as they were about to hit each other, spinning Sceptile suddenly moved away from the Giga Impact. He was now in the air as Latios made his way to the ground.

"Sceptile Solarbeam! NOW!" yelled Ash

To everyone's surprise, Solarbeam didn't take any time to charge up. Sceptile released his most powerful grass type move as soon Ash commanded. Solarbeam made its way to the back of Latios at the impressive rate. And as Latios crashed to the ground with Giga Impact, Solarbeam hit its target. Ash was smiling slightly. It was a good idea too combine the Spin with a charging a Solarbeam. This is a good start. Better than he expected.

"Latios Luster Purge!"

From the smoke of the Sollarbeam, beam of pink energy was shown and before you could blink it hit Sceptile in the air.

"Latios Steel Wing!" and the jet Pokemon show from the smoke with his white glowing wings to the falling Sceptile.

"Sceptile block it with Brick Break!" But it was too much for the green lizard. Being hit by Luster Purge made a toll on him and before he could react pair of steel wings slammed into his stomach sending him to the ground at the speed that created a small crater beneath him.

Bruised Latios landed in front of the green lizard. Suprisingly. He was slowly rising up. Shakingly he knelt on one knee and stood on the other. Breathing heavily he eyed his opponent with his one unswollen eye. He was an attacker. Not some bulky Pokemon that can take this. These two attacks hurt like hell. _"Not... gonna... give... up..."_ Ash's words from that monstrous training rang through his head. But suddenly he felt a sharp pain in his stomach. And with one last grunt he fell.

"Sceptile is unable to battle. Send out your next Pokemon" said the referee.

Audience in the stadium clapped and roared again, acknowledging Sceptile's fighting spirit.

"Sceptile return" Ash returned his Pokemon. "You were magnificent Sceptile. You did your part and much more. Take a nice long rest. Arceus knows you've earned it" Ash said as he looked at Sceptile's pokeball with pride.

"That is one strong Pokemon you got there Ash. Not only did he took my Darkrai without taking a hit but damaged Latios with a Solarbeam." Tobias praised Sceptile. He himself never saw such a dedication to win the battle. That bond between them is very strong.

"I know. From a little Treecko to battling two legendaries. Pretty good heh?" Asked Ash to lighten up the mood on the stadium.

"Pretty good it is" answered Tobias with a chuckle. It was miles away from just 'pretty good'.

Ash then pulled out next Pokeball from his belt. And threw it on the battlefield. "Infernape I choose you!" He knew that Infernape is in disadvantage too. But right now he doesn't care. It was to be expected, when you have to go into the battle against someone who has only one Pokemon recorded in his database. He has too make this work somehow.

"Latios vs Infernape. Begin!" announced referee.

"Infernape, use Flamethrower!"

"Latios, Luster Purge!"

Ash's panic mode activated. "DIG, DIG, DIG!" That was a really bad start on Ash's part. Infernape is really strong but he doesn't have him long enough to measure forces with Latios head on. It was a stupid mistake which he should've predicted. Fortunately for him, Infernape made it in time. _"Phew, that was close"_ Ash wiped his forehead. But now that Infernape was beneath the ground he got an excellent idea.

"Infernape use Flare Blitz while you are underground" said Ash to his monkey friend.

"What?" Tobias was now really confused. What in the hell he is doing again?! Only one person knew. And that was Ash. Actually. Two. In the stands, Paul had a big grin on his face.

Battlefield got hotter and hotter until it erupted and all the energy and heat in a battlefield flew straight up and hit a flying Latios damaging him greatly again. Solarbeam and Flare Blitz combo really hurt. Infernape then finally came back from his hole receiving some minor recoil damage from a super powerful attack.

"Latios Steel Wing" said Tobias. This battle is starting to get really exciting, but annoying too. League websites were right about him. The Unpredictable is his nickname there. They chose a suitable nickname for him.

"Infernape Mach Punch!"

Jet Pokemon hit Infernape with his Steel Wing right to the abdomen. Even though it was a Steel-type move, it hurt him badly. But he was holding onto him while flying through the air.

"Infernape you can do it! MACH PUNCH!" yelled Ash into the sky.

Despite the pain, he was receiving and the fast speed that he was traveling on Latios's wing, he managed to lift one arm and smack it into the Latios's wing. But it was more of a bad idea than good one. Latios jerked up and threw Infernape of himself in very high place in the sky.

"Thanks, Ash. Latios get back here and use Roost!" said Tobias confidently.

And in a flash, Latios was now on the ground and restoring its health through dance. This is a problem. Infernape is in the air. Helpless. Falling. And Latios is here restoring his health.

"Infernape use Dig when you fall" shouted Ash to his falling Pokemon.

"Who said I will let him fall? Latios Giga Impact" And again. Latios shot like a bullet to the falling monkey. And before Ash could sent another command they already met. With gravity helping Latios to strike extremely hard, Infernape ended up unconscious and falling to a ground. Until he hit it. Dust gathered around him and everyone expected him to faint. But he didn't. He is too stubborn for that. Lifting his hands he began slowly crawling his way to Latios. Nobody spoke a word in the arena. It is dead silent in the stadium, apart from a few grunts of Infernape. Another Pokemon with an indestructible will has been seen today. But when he made it to hovering Latios he felt incredible pain in his chest and had to lay down.

"Infernape is unable to battle. Latios wins. Send out your next Pokemon." said the referee.

"You have a lot of stubborn Pokemon. You know that?" asked Tobias very impressed by the Ash's Pokemon. In the meantime commentator again commented the match for the audience.

"Of course I know, they take after me in that department. And I couldn't have been more proud." said Ash in all seriousness that last sentence. "Infernape return" said Ash "You just don't know when to throw a towel huh? Heh who am I to judge. I would probably do the same thing. I think that you don't even know how to throw a towel... You were great Infernape" said with a smile Ash to the pokeball holding Infernape. He then clipped him onto his belt. And send out his next Pokemon.

He turned to a Pokemon sitting on his shoulder. "I have an idea. But I need specifically you to pull it off. So what do you say buddy?" Ash asked his Pokemon.

"Pi pikachu!" said Pikachu in his pokespeech and immediately jumped on the battlefield against Latios.

"Latios vs Pikachu. Begin!" announced referee once again announced

"Pikachu don't hold back! Quick Attack!" yelled Ash. Everyone watched with wide eyes as the yellow blur stroke Latios in the chest and Latios grunt in a lot of pain. It was surprisingly painful coming from the cute little yellow mouse.

Tobias now panicking a bit because of what he saw, ordered next attack. "Giga Impact!" shouted Tobias for the first time. It seemed like he was losing his calm nature. And he did a little. Tobias didn't expect Ash's Pikachu to be that fast. He is so fast that Latios couldn't even react to his Quick Attack. And Latios outsped Ash's Sceptile! What the fuck is this mouse?!

Ash smiled. This is exactly what he wanted. He always holds Pikachu's power back since he has beaten Regiice. And since he is fighting another legendary Pokemon, he won't hold back the power that his Pikachu really has. And it did its job. He scared Tobias and he made a mistake.

"Pikachu Spin, then Thunderbolt into Volt Tackle and in the end Iron Tail!" yelled Ash.

"Dodge it Latios" said Tobias, sounding as calm as ever.

Nevertheless, there were a lot of commands for Pikachu to perform. The audience thought Ash was crazy. Latios will probably recover from that Giga Impact long before Pikachu could finish that sequence

But it wasn't like that. Pikachu unleashed his Thunderbolt and hit the eon Pokemn that was still in Giga Impact. And again he hurt the Pokemon greatly. Latios crashed to the ground and before Latios could fly away he was hit by a powerful Volt Tackle right on the head. Tired and sore Latios then only saw as a shining Iron Tail smacked his face sending him through the battlefield right into the wall, creating a large smoke cloud. When the dust settled Latios was lying on the ground with swirls in his eyes and with a hole in the wall behind him. Pikachu in the meantime took the damage from Volt Tackle like a champ. He didn't even budge.

Referee hesitated again. This was brutal. What is that mouse?! The whole stadium was quiet for that one moment.

"L- Latios is unable to battle. Pikachu wins! Send out your next Pokemon."

Immediately after this commentator of the match went nuts again. **"DID YOU ALL SAW WHAT I DID?! THIS IS ABSOLUTELY INSANE! NOT ONLY THAT TOBIAS HAS TWO LEGENDARY POKEMON. BUT ASH KETCHUM HAS BEATEN THEM BOTH WITH 4 REMAINING POKEMON ON EACH SIDE! I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO EXPECT FROM TODAY ANYMORE!"**

And again the whole stadium was on its feet clapping, chanting and roaring frantically. The whole stadium fell in love with cute yet deadly yellow rodent. "Pikachu, Pikachu, Pikachu, Pikachu" this word was heard miles away from the biggest stadium on the island.

* * *

 _Meanwhile in the VIP box_

"Guys... What did just happened?" asked perplexed Aaron in the VIP stand.

"I wish I knew." said equally perplexed Flint.

"Pikachu won against Latios. That happened" said Lucian in his calm demeanor.

"No shit Sherlock! But HOW!" replied Flint to his blue-haired co-worker.

"Cynthia. You spend some time with the boy. Did you know about this?" asked the curious white-bearded president of the League, stroking his beard.

Cynthia herself didn't know how this could happen. She knew his Pikachu can get legendaries run for their money. But this? This was a slaughter! He literally wiped the floor with Latios. The way which Tobias's Latios flew into the wall was seen clearly on the battlefield. "I... I had no idea. I knew that Pikachu could take down legendaries. But this was... brutal. Latios was nearly at full health with that Roost and Pikachu still defeated him like he was some Ratatta." explained Cynthia to her friends.

"This Pikachu seems very special." said Berta. And that was the closing statement of the VIP box for a few minutes. Nobody knew what to talk about. They were just watching the battle between strongest trainers in the Lily of the Valley Conference. Catching legendaries is one thing. But humiliating them in battle them is another.

* * *

Every friend of Ash Ketchum now watched the battle whatever it is on TV or live with their mouths wide open. He was able to hide the fact that his little yellow companion is nuclear bomb ready to explode. As in the VIP stand, even they were speechless.

* * *

 _Back at the battlefield_

"Okay. I gotta ask. How is that even possible?" asked Tobias as he recalled his Latios.

"I wish I knew. He was this powerful from the beginning. He was able to defend me from the flock of Spearows when he was injured and could barely move. They were at least 50 of them and he took them down with a single Thunderbolt. We then trained and trained slowly increasing his massive power. Eventually, I personally promoted him from "Spearow slayer" to "Legendary slayer" after he beat up Brandon's Regiice. There is a possibility that he got some boost from the electric flu that he went through in Hoenn. But I can't say that for certain. Even Pikachu himself doesn't know how he became so powerful" explained Ash to everyone in the stadium.

"Speaking of which. Pikachu return. I'll need you later." said Ash to Pikachu as he climbed back to Ash's shoulder.

"You are worthy opponent Ash. I am amazed at the things you can do." said Tobias respectfully. "But pace lap is over Ash." said Tobias in challanging demenaor.

"Bring it on Tobias!" Ash taunted his opponent in a funny demeanor. As both of them grabbed their pokeballs and throwing them in the air.

"Glalie I choose you!" yelled Ash.

"Hnf!" growled Tobias as he threw his pokeball out.

" **YOU HAVE TO BE KIDDING ME! LADIES AND GENTLEMAN CHRISTMAS CAME EARLY BECAUSE WE ARE TREATED WITH A SIGHT ONTO ANOTHER LEGENDARY POKEMON! LOOK AT THAT MAGNIFICENT CREATURE! IT'S THE GUARDIAN OF THE SEAS HERSELF! LUGIA!"** commentator yelled to his microphone. How his vocal chords are still working is a mystery.

Stadium foundations were shaken for several times today by the jumps, roars, and cheers. And it seems that they won't end anytime soon. And television viewers began to regret their decision to watch this on TV. Seeing live one of those majestic creatures is a blessing. And the audience in the stadium saw three already.

"You know, I joked about you having Arceus himself under that belt three days ago. And looking at it now, as crazy as it sounded back then... Now it seems plausible enough" said Ash.

"I am afraid that I will have to disappoint you Ash. I don't have Arceus" answered chuckling Tobias.

"Shame. I was looking for that battle." replied Ash.

Referee hesitated for a second again. But he was slowly getting used to this crazy battle. "Lugia vs. Glalie. Begin!"

"Lugia Future Sight!" said Tobias

Immediately after that command, Lugia released few white cubes of energy into the air where they dispersed.

"Dexter? Info?" asked Ash his Pokedex in his pocket.

" _ **FUTURE SIGHT: PSYCHIC TYPE ATTACK. USER OF THIS ATTACK WILL RELEASE A PSYCHIC ENERGY INTO THE AIR. PSYCHIC ENERGY IN A FORM OF CUBES WILL RANDOMLY APPEAR AND ATTACK THE OPPONENT UNTIL THE MATCH WILL COME TO AN END. NUMBER OF CUBES IS RANDOM FROM 1 TO 5."**_ replied robotic voice from Ash's pocket.

"Annoying" said Ash to Tobias.

"I know" he replied.

"Glalie use Shadow Ball!" Ash yelled.

"Dodge Lugia!" said Tobias in his calm voice.

And in one swift movement, Lugia was gone. She was nowhere near Pikachu speed. But it was definitely faster than Latios.

"Sky Attack" said Tobias.

And before you could blink Lugia charged and dive herself into Glalie. failing to dodge much faster Lugia, Glalie took a lot of damage. Even though Glalie is one bulky Pokemon, Ash can't hesitate like that again. Thank Arceus he chose Glalie. He can take some of the greatest hits even from legendary before going down. Ash registered Lugia got really close to Glalie with her Sky Attack and hasn't backed up yet.

"Glalie Crunch now!" yelled Ash to his cuddly Ice type.

And Glalie successfully bit Lugia in the neck. And he didn't let go. Lugia tried to shake Glalie of but to no avail. He was glued there like a parasite sucking energy out of her.

"Glalie Ice Beam and hold it still" yelled Ash.

And slowly but surely Glalie was using Ice Beam from a point-blank range on Lugia's neck. Despite not being a water type, it was painful attack to recieve. The constant stream of a cold beam was damaging her slowly, but effectively.

" _Come on, Come on, Come on where are you?"_ thought Tobias.

And boy was he lucky today. From a thin air 4 cubes appeared and hit Glalie and he slowly let go of Lugia's neck.

"Dragon Tail! And then Sky Attack" said Tobias.

"Glalie Protect!" yelled Ash.

Thankfully for Ash, Glalie was able to deflect Lugia's Dragon Tail. But shortly after that, the Sky Attack come. One of the most powerful flying moves was pressing against Glalie's shield. Shield starts to crack. But Glalie still holds. With a cry of his name, he pours more and more energy into it. Lugia's Sky Attack was slowly fading. Glalie smiled to the face of Lugia as his shield was withstanding the impact.

But then Future Sight happened. With 5 cubes. Future Sight cracked a shield and Glalie was hit by the second Sky Attack today. Glalie is just lying there. Facing the ground. Seeing nothing. Those two Sky attacks were too much. Plus that Future Sight thing didn't help either. He was drifting into unconsciousness.

"Finish it with Dragon Tail!" said Tobias.

"Protect!" Ash yelled desperately.

As soon as Glalie heard his trainer His eyes opened themselves in an instant. Ash was still fighting. Which means that he has to fight too. Sleep can wait anyway. He then pushed through the pain and summoned a green shield. Deflecting that Dragon Tail with everything he could muster. But, fate wasn't on Glalie's side today. Future Sight appeared again. Three cubes of Future Sight and Dragon Tail was too much for the tired Glalie to deflect. And with a large explosion battle was over.

When the smoke cleared, Glalie was squeezed in the ground. Glalie defended himself as he was slowly forcefully pushed into the ground. That's some dedication from Ash's only ice Pokemon.

"Glalie is unable to battle. Since the green trainer lost 3 Pokemon we will have a 30-minute break before resuming a match" announced the referee.

Tobias recalled his Lugia and went into his changing room without a word. Ash recalled Glalie and began speaking to him through his pokeball. "Glalie you were great. Luck was not on our side today. But that is not important. I can't believe that you heard my desperate calls despite your injuries. You are one tough Pokemon and I am proud of you."

After his Pokemon went through that ridiculous training with him he couldn't help but thank them when they fell in the battle. Noone disappointed him so far. All three of them. Infernape, Sceptile, and Glalie went out like champions. Every single one of them didn't take a loss for an answer. They would fight in their sleep if he commanded it. That is more than he could ever ask from them.

"Let's go Pikachu. I have a lot to think about." said Ash to his yellow friend on his shoulder as he made his way to his changing room to clear his head and prepare himself for the second part of the battle.

* * *

 **Author's note: Pretty long chapter. I don't know how I got myself into it. I thought. "So I will just introduce Dawn and Brock, Ash and Tobias will have a fight and the end." But as you can see I got sidetracked a little bit. Elite Four introduction, Charles, and the Pallet town gang. I don't even know why I added them now. I had to cut this battle in two parts, because it would be way too long for one chapter. I think next chapter will be as long as this one. Maybe more. But how could I know. I can get some crazy idea and BOOM. 1000 words +.**

 **That's it for now.**

 **Reviews are appreciated.**


	3. Prologue III: Battle to remember

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Pokemon or any of these characters.**

 **Author's note: These battles are so exhau** **sting to write. Anyway. Here's the resolution to the battle between Tobias and Ash.**

"classic conversation"

 _"thoughts"_

 **"commentator"**

 **That is all for now. Enjoy.**

* * *

 **Prologue III: Battle to remember**

 **"Okay folks. 30 minutes flew by, and I hope you brought some snacks because we might have long noon ahead of ourselves. When we left this indescribable match, Ash surprised everyone by being able to take down not only Darkrai but Latios too. And what is even more impressive is that he still has 3 Pokemon left. Will we see another legendary Pokemon? Can Ash somehow pull through and win? Answers are right around the corner. And I can't wait. So what do you say, guys? Should we bring them back?"** commentator asked the audience to heat them up a little. And the response was perfect. Chants of "BRING THEM BACK! BRING THEM BACK! BRING THEM BACK!" were heard throughout Lily of the Valley.

There was a small pause after the announcement by the commentator. Speaking of the said commentator, he wasn't yelling. Which was interesting. His voice was different too. **"AND HERE THEY ARE! ASH KETCHUM AND TOBIAS! LET'S GIVE THEM A WARM RE-WELCOME!"** There he is. Probably went for some snacks. It would be a boring fight without this guy.

Ash was making his way back to his post on the battlefield when the entire stadium was screaming with excitement for the upcoming battles. "I have to say Pikachu. This." said Ash, as he looked at the audience in the stadium. At least 125 000 people were here. Cheering. Shouting. Chanting. All of this was making an amazing atmosphere for this semi-final battle. "This is amazing." Ash finished his sentence. Pikachu smiled, looked around and couldn't agree more. Ash finally made it to his post. Across the battlefield stood Tobias. "We made kind of commotion don't you think." Ash told Tobias. Now that he had time to thought about it. Tobias is a pretty chill guy. Mysterious, but nice nonetheless.

Tobias looked at Ash as the loud screaming was still heard. "Yeah. I'm surprised I can hear you right now." said Tobias in a voice filled with confidence.

Ash chuckled. "Yeah and I am surprised the stadium is still standing." said Ash "But enough of that. Let's give them the battle to remember." said Ash as he looked at smiling Tobias and preparing his pokeball. The excitement of this match was off the charts. Everyone was eagerly eyeing both competitors, be it on TV, listening in the radio or live at the stadium.

The referee looked was looking at his watch during the whole exchange. When the last digit changed, he resumed a battle.

"Battle between Tobias and Ash Ketchum is resumed. Trainer in a green corner you'll have the first move. Choose your Pokemon."

"Snorlax I choose you!" Ash yelled.

Tobias released his Pokemon too. And as usual, he didn't say anything. Everyone was eager to set a sight at yet another Tobias's Pokemon. It is another magnificent creature. But...

"Out of legendaries already? I'm so disappointed in you" said Ash tauntingly to Tobias. Even the commentator didn't comment in his usual shouts.

Tobias again just chuckled slightly. "Did you think that my team consists only of legendary Pokemon?" Tobias asked curiously.

"After I saw three of them I forgot that there is a possibility that you would not have a full team of legendary Pokemon." answered Ash.

"Are you two done?" The referee asked with annoyance.

"Sure thing boss!" Ash replied.

Referee sighed as he starts the second half of this battle. "Salamance vs. Snorlax. Begin!"

"Snorlax, use Hyperbeam!" yelled Ash.

"Salamance, Fire Blast!" Tobias replied calmly.

Those two attacks collided, resulting in an enormous explosion. Ash had to cover his eyes, as the blast sent shockwaves through the battlefield and pieces of dirt in all directions. When dust from the blast settled, Salamance still stood on the ground. Unfazed. Unlike Salamance, Snorlax is tired a tiny bit after using his most powerful attack. This Salamance is no joke, if he could counter Snorlax's Hyperbeam without effort.

"Salamance. Double-Edge!" commanded Tobias.

"Snorlax. Use Ice Punch!" yelled Ash. Ash is excited beyond words. This is what he loves about Pokemon battles. Just two Pokemon and two trainers, duking it with each other. Trainers trying to outsmart each other and Pokemon trying to overpower their opponent. Testament of trust between trainer and Pokemon. The adrenaline rush from seeing those magnificent creatures go toe to toe with each other is indescribable each time Ash has a battle.

Ice Punch and Double-Edge met. In the end, Salamance overpowered Ice Punch a slammed his head right into the belly of Snorlax. Smoke from the collision cleared. Snorlax is still standing. He looked unfazed by the attack with his dopey sleepy face. And he mostly was. He is the bulkiest Pokemon on Ash's team after all.

"Salamance take the skies and use Dragon Breath repeatedly!" And with impressive speed, Salamance took the skies and did as his trainer wished. Flying through the skies and using Dragon Breath repeatedly.

 _"How many flying Pokemon does he have? It's getting annoying."_ Ash thought. Latios, Lugia, Salamance. All of them, flying types. His Snorlax was now at the mercy of Salamance. Dragon Breath after Dragon Breath hit Snorlax. Ash is running out of time. He needs to come up with something or he will have to return Snorlax. So Ash thought about his ptions. He could either try to snipe him down with Hyperbeam or somehow get Snorlax moving to at least dodge the attacks to buy some time.

And as Snorlax was slipping on his feet as another Dragon Breath pushed him back slightly, Ash got it.

 _"THAT'S IT!"_ Ash realized. "Snorlax use Ice Punch directly beneath you and make it count!" Ash yelled.

 _"So. What it is now?"_ though Tobias. Tobias from the beginning knew that if he would keep his distance, that he would be OK. Ash's Snorlax will have troubles attacking a flying target. But he came with something up. Again. _"Could you like. Stop? Please? For a minute? You're giving me a headache."_

"Snorlax's fist then glowed light blue and he punched the ground with monstrous force. Grass battlefield is now slowly transforming into an ice one.

"Go for it!" said Ash to his chubby Pokemon.

And with that Snorlax is now ice skating on the battlefield. Finally being able to dodge those damn Dragon Breaths. Salamace's Dragon Breath's hurt him to some degree, but it still wasn't enough to put Snorlax down.

"Impressive. Heaviest Pokemon is outmaneuvering a dragon." stated Tobias.

"You should be ashamed. Not impressed." replied Ash.

Tobias just chuckled at Ash's antics before giving a command. "Salamance. Get rid of ice with Fire Blast." said calmly

 _"Thank god he fell for it"_ thought Ash. He knew that he could only dodge his attacks and nothing more. His only ranged attack is Hyperbeam and that hurts Snorlax too. He can't spam it like Dragon Breath. He needs to take that Salamance down and immobilize it. This was probably his last chance. Fire blast isn't a fast attack like Dragon Breath. Salamance has to stop for a second. And this second will be crucial in Ash's risky plan. Skating and aiming isn't the easiest thing to do, unfortunately.

"Snorlax Hyperbeam! Aim for a wing!"

As Fire Blast was shot and made it's way to the field, Snorlax was already out of the way. Fire Blast flew past him and burned part of the icefield behind him.

With claws on his feet, Snorlax rooted himself into the battlefield and took a position to shoot Salamance down. And to Ash's surprise, Snorlax sniped Salamance's wing like a pro. Hitting Salamance in the wing, he cried out in pain and descended to the ground.

"Sal-"

"BODY SLAM!" Ash interjected, not bothering to say Snorlax before the name of the attack. He needs to ground that dragon fast. No hesitations this time.

And it worked. Seconds after Ash instructed his Snorlax, he was already on top of Salamance and with help of gravity Snorlax shoved the red-blue dragon into the ground. But Salamance was still conscious.

"Snorlax use Hyperbeam!" yelled Ash.

Salamance, being pinned down by Snorlax could only squirm as Snorlax charged yet another Hyperbeam.

"Fire Blast!" Tobias ordered counterattack. And again, his voice calm, with not a hint of nervousness.

Salamance stopped squirming and released his powerful fire-type attack. Two attacks collided resulting in yet another giant from the collision of those powerful attacks was dispersing for several minutes. Everyone was waiting patiently for the result of the clash. And when the smoke was gone, everyone could clearly see the victor.

"Salamance is unable to battle. Send out your next Pokemon"

 **"AND ASH SETTLED THE SCORE ONCE AGAIN!"** yelled the overly enthusiastic commentator in his booth. Stadium cheered again, but not as loudly as before. This was a pretty standard Pokemon battle after all. Nothing like battle between a legendary Pokemon and an ordinary one for example.

Before Tobias could choose is next Pokemon Ash returned his Snorlax. "Take a nap sniper. I'll call you back in a moment" said Ash to the Snorlax's pokeball.

Tobias threw another pokeball on the battlefield. And even though Tobias lost another Pokemon, he is smiling. And Ash knew something is off. This isn't his usual 'I'm excited about a battle' smile. It was more like 'I got you where I want' smile.

 **"AND SHE'S BACK. MAJESTIC SEA GUARDIAN IS BACK FOR MORE. CAN ASH TOOK HER DOWN? OR IS THIS THE END OF THE ROAD FOR THE RESILIENT TRAINER FROM PALLET TOWN?"** this man has too much energy. But the audience loved it and cheered with him as the legendary Pokemon appeared.

"Ready for more Pikachu?" Ash asked his yellow companion on his shoulder. And of course, Pikachu nodded with eagerness and jumped onto the now transformed burned field by Salamance's Fire Blast with few pools of water in the mix.

"Lugia vs. Pikachu. Begin!"

"Lugia. Take the skies!" ordered Tobias to get as far away as he could get from the extremely dangerous yellow rodent.

"Pikachu Thunderbolt!" yelled Ash.

"Lugia dodge and Future Sight!" said Tobias

"Pikachu keep using Thunderbolt!" yelled Ash. Now he at least has some kind of attack to attack Lugia. But it was worthless. Pikachu's Thunderbolt's kept missing its target as Lugia kept dodging. Suddenly Tobias did what he was waiting for.

"Sky Attack!" said to his Pokemon. Lugia enveloped herself in a white coat of energy and dived onto Pikachu.

"Pikachu. Spin!" Ash yelled. And Pikachu starts spinning. They were few meters apart, when Tobias surprised Ash.

"Lugia, copy Pikachu!" Tobias seemed like he wasn't fazed by previous battle's. He seemed completely relaxed. Just like in the beginning.

And before Ash could react Lugia fold her back plates and started furiously spinning too. She looked like a glowing white drill. Lugia rammed into Pikachu's small body sending straight back into the ground.

Ash's eyes widened. This wasn't supposed to happen. Pikachu may have strong attacks that can go toe to toe with legendary Pokemon. But his defense is terrible. This could be Pikachu's end. Even if it was a flying move. It was from legendary Pokemon. And not just any flying move. It was one of the strongest flying moves.

There was a hole in the ground, exactly where Pikachu crashed. Ash realized that the situation is even worse. That spin must've empowered Sky Attack greatly.

Few seconds and nothing was heard. The stadium was again quiet. Just as the referee was going to announce the end, a yellow right paw grabbed the edge of the hole. Then another paw. Pikachu climbed out of the hole. Badly. Really badly hurt. You can see his pain in his twitching eyes. But he stood there. Ready for more. But then 3 cubes appeared out of nowhere and slammed Pikachu back to the ground. By the laws of mother nature, he should be down already! But even after all of this. Pikachu still tried to pick himself up on all fours. Legs shaking. Blurry vision. Yet. He still stood. Waiting for another command from his domesticated human. Sounds weird, but it's true. Every single cell in his body was telling him to stop this madness. _"I can't go out like this"_ thought Pikachu. He wants at least one hit. But the pain was overwhelming. He then gave in.

"Pikachu is unable to battle. Send out your next Pokemon." said the referee.

Ash made his way to his fallen buddy onto the burned battlefield. He was asleep. And surely, in pain. He didn't expect Pikachu to meet the end this quickly. He hoped to at least get some damage onto Lugia. Ash picked him up and carried him to his post. "You were great. As always. I just wished that we were able to last longer. I didn't expect that. I'm sorry buddy." This loss he took upon himself. He got overconfident with his techniques and it turned against him. He put Pikachu next to him on the ground. He wrapped him in a sky blue towel from his backpack and turned back onto the battlefield.

"Suprised?" asked Tobias. It is a taunting tone.

"A little. Not everything goes always according to plan. But we are not done yet Tobias." replied Ash confidently but something was missing in his voice. Tobias could tell.

Tobias chuckled again. "Well then. What are we waiting for?" said with that uncomfortable smile on his face.

"Snorlax I choose you!" yelled Ash.

"Lugia vs. Snorlax. Begin!"

"Snorlax use Rest!" yelled Ash. And Snorlax took a nap to heal and restore his energy from last battle.

"Lugia. Hydro Pump!" said Tobias without emotions and worry in his voice and eyes.

Lugia's Hydro Pump hit its target damaging Snorlax in his sleep. But immediately after that Snorlax woke up. Being as good as new. But as soon as he did 4 cubes of Future Sight hit him.

"Lugia. Hydro Pump again." said Tobias.

And the problem from the previous Snorlax's fight was here again. He can't reach Lugia. And that is a problem again. As soon as he would use Snorlax's ice to get closer, Tobias would know his plan. The same thing won't work twice. Pikachu found thst out the hard way. And his chubby friend doesn't have much time too. Those Hydro Pumps hurt. And right now Snorlax was hit by a second Future Sight with 2 cubes. He needs to think of something new quick. Or-

"Lugia. Sky Attack!" said Tobias

"Snorlax jump and Body Slam!" yelled Ash. This was his chance.

"Lugia UP, then Dragon Tail" not a millisecond after Ash finished his command Tobias finished his.

Snorlax was above Lugia, ready to pin her down. But Lugia made a sharp turn up and slammed the Sky Attack into the Snorlax.'s belly. And not even a second after, Snorlax was smacked in the back by Dragon Tail that send him to the ground.

Snorlax landed on his head and this sent him into the dreamland immediately after the impact.

"Snorlax is unable to battle. Trainer in a green corner. Send out your last Pokemon." the referee announced. This is the kind of battle that the referee expected from Tobias.

Now it came to Ash like a bunch of bricks. _"He knows"_. Ash is now looking at his Snorlax with a sad look. He recalled his Snorlax, looked at his pokeball and spoke. "I'm sorry Snorlax. I now know what went wrong. I wish I realized it sooner. It cost me you and Pikachu and the whole battle. You'll get a big bag of Pokemon food for what you did for me these 3 days. I promise." smiled Ash sadly at Snorlax's Pokeball.

* * *

 _Meanwhile with his friends in the stands_

"Wha... What happened? He was great so far." asked nervous Dawn.

"This is what I was afraid of." said Paul in his monotone voice.

All of them were watching the slaughter of Pikachu and Snorlax. Ash's two Pokemon didn't land a single hit. There was something very wrong. Dawn looked at Paul seeking answers.

"Dawn. Ash isn't as confident in his abilities as he seems. He may act like he isn't fazed by anything, but there are rare instances where he is. This is one of them. That's why he needed that confidence boost from us. And that confidence boost me and Cynthia gave him?! It's fading. Ash thinks he can't win now. It's like he is facing Darkrai again in his mind. Only this time the unbeatable wall in front of him is Lugia. He is lost. He needs a slap or a push in the right direction again." Paul said

Other two spectators with them were quiet. While the blonde one was feeling sorry for Ash. The older one was thinking something different as he saw his friend devasted by the turn of events.

 _"Come on Ash. You are better than this."_ thought Brock to himself.

* * *

 _Meanwhile in Pallet Town_

In the Ketchum household Oak, Delia, Tracey, and Gary were watching Ash's impressive run in the league. But their favorite competitor began to lose steam. Right now Ash recalled his Snorlax.

"Well, he did well. Don't you think gramps?" said Gary to his grandfather.

"Good? He was incredible. He must be proud of what he accomplished. He truly is the pride of our town."

"Hey! And what about me?!" asked angry Gary.

"When you'll become a professor yourself you will be The Pride of Pallet too." answered professor honestly to his grandson.

"Well, I'm gonna go back to the Lab. I'll begin to cook some lunch for our Pokemon and for us too. Keep me posted if Ash will pull something crazy again." said Tracey

"Thanks, Tracey" said professor to his assistant as Tracey thanked Delia and made his way to the lab.

As these guys were celebrating Ash's accomplishment Delia is on a different boat. She knows her son better then he thinks he knows himself. Just one look on his face revealed her the truth. He is devastated. It all began with his Pikachu being defeated by something. Name of the Pokemon wasn't important to her. She'll have to call him immediately after the match and check if he's okay. She closed her eyes, clasped her hands together and placed them her chest. Then she whispered quietly.

"Ash.."

* * *

 _Meanwhile in the VIP box_

"Well this doesn't look for him." said Aaron to his friends

"Ash's tactic will be useless from now on." stated Lucian.

"What do you mean?" asked Flint. Even though he is Elite Four member he isn't the smartest. He got here basically through raw power rather than thinking.

"I think that Tobias found a weakness in his fighting style. These past 2 matches he controlled the battle. And he wasn't surprised by his tactics at all" stated Lucian again in a haughty tone.

"Do you know what his weakness is?" asked curious Aaron.

"No. I don't unfortunately. It seems only Tobias knows" replied back Lucian in his normal demeanor.

"I know it too." stated the oldest and the only female member of the Elite Four. In low neutral tone.

"Well, grandma care to explain?" asked provocatively Flint.

Bertha took a deep breath and sighed. If she wouldn't tell them now then Flint and Aaron won't leave her alone for the rest of the battle. _"I shouldn't say that."_ she thought to herself, regretting her uncontrollable tongue.

"It all began in the middle of a Snorlax's fight against Salamance. That's where Tobias's Salamance proved Tobias's theory about Ash's strategy." Bertha stopped for a moment.

"AND?" asked Flint. He could be really annoying sometimes. Because of this he received a slap from Charles to calm him down. Charles was listening to the whole conversation from the moment it began. And Bertha is a mistress at reading opponents. If someone could figure it out, it was her.

But Charles couldn't help but be sad. Ash made a great impression on him. But right now it seemed like he had very low chance of winning. Bertha then spoke again.

"That's the moment when Tobias took control over everything. From the moment I am here, Ash took down Latios and Salamance in basically the same way. Ash's Pokemon as strong as they are, simply don't have the necessary firepower to overcome attacks of the legendary Pokemon. Ash found a way around this by his strategy. Every single time Ash's goal is to get close to his opponent and beat them up with close powerful attacks before Tobias could realize what is going on. But it didn't last forever. Ash tried it again on Lugia with Pikachu and Snorlax too. It was pointless because Tobias already knew. Patiently he kept his distance with his flying Pokemon in the air, so Ash couldn't get close. And when he did get close, it was all part of Tobias's plan."

"Sooooo Ash is screwed?" asked Aaron.

Lucian joined the discussion again. "He is losing 3:5 and Tobias have Lugia who is in great shape and two unknown Pokemon at his disposal. Ash has only one unknown Pokemon. This hesitation and hole in his strategy is going to cost him a victory." said Lucian in his normal voice.

That was sad to hear. If Ash would've beaten Tobias he would become a superstar. He'll still be famous to some extent after today's events. But he wished much more for the boy. He deserves it. _"Well you have beaten 2 legendary Pokemon. Nobody will ever take that from you."_ Charles thought. Charles then looked at Cynthia. Sinnoh champion is watching the match without a blink of an eye or saying a single word. He had a pretty good guess what could be running through her head right now. "Cynthia. How do you see this whole situation?" he asked in an attempt to broke Cynthia from a trance.

This whole time Cynthia was sitting there with them. Watching the battle. Quietly. After the battle between Pikachu and Lugia she found Ash's weakness too. Cynthia looked at the plasma screen, showing Ash's face. He was lost. Those brown eyes were surprised, and insecure too. He needed someone to put him back on the track. To say that he could get back into the match with slight changes. But... Cynthia had to watch Snorlax getting destroyed by Lugia too. Tobias destroyed Ash's two Pokemon like he was destroying his other challengers. And it was just painful to watch. So painful. And she saw it right there. It was like someone dumped a water on his fiery heart extinguishing the flames of courage. His confidence was gone. The only thing that she desired to do at that moment was stormed into the battlefield and tell him that he still has it. _"Remember Ash. Remember what we told you. If someone can pull this off it's you, Ash. I believe in you"_. This was running through her head. Even when the odds were against Ash. ESPECIALLY when odds were against him. She still believed.

Her right side of abdomen suddenly shined in a bright blue color. But it was only a small place on her stomach, and it was covered by her black coat which restrained the light. So nobody noticed anything.

Someone poked her shoulder and snapped her back to reality.

"Cynthia. How do you see this whole situation?" asked Charles again.

Cynthia looked at Ash on the battlefield. Surprisingly, he is looking back at her. With a smile again. Even from this distance, she could see the fire in his eyes re-ignited. She smiled brightly herself. Cynthia didn't know what happened but he was back at it. "It's not over yet."

* * *

 _Back at the battlefield_

 **"AND ANOTHER ONE BITES THE DUST. LAST TWO DUELS WENT QUICKLY IN FAVOR OF TOBIAS! IS THIS THE END FOR THE POKEMON TRAINER FROM KANTO?"** yelled the commentator in his trusty microphone.

The stadium was clapping. But nothing else. People here were so spoiled by the great battle, that they didn't appreciate a slaughter performed by legendary Pokemon. Even if it was the main thing why they were here. They want to see The Impossible again. Someone to beat that unstoppable force of power. Sadly. Their hope to see something like that was thinner and thinner with each passing second.

Ash was caught in a dead end. He lost two Pokemon for nothing. Even though both of them beat their first opponents he needed them for a little longer. To do at least something to Lugia. His fear of loss was back. And his confidence in beating Lugia was gone. Exactly like he thought it would go against Darkrai. _"This is it huh. The end of the Sinnoh road."_ Ash thought.

"Pikah..." said his tired Pikachu lying by his feet. Ash understood what he said. A simple NO. He could feel that Pikachu still wanted him to fight. Hell Pikachu himself wants to fight. Well. If Pikachu wants this. He will finish this. Tobias will end it in a few minutes probably. He unclipped his last pokeball and looked at it.

 _"Remember Ash. Remember what we told you. If someone can pull this off it's you, Ash. I believe in you"_. Ash heard this in his head. He had no clue what was it. It was like someone was talking to him. He looked around him. No one. What was it? Those weren't his normal thoughts. It was coming from somewhere else. Someone else. Those words were not spoken in his voice of mind either. It was Cynthia's voice. But how did this happened? Why did he hear her? Was it his wishful thinking? No, no. He knows how his head works. This was different. He didn't know why, but he knew that the mysterious encouragement was real. Even though logic said he was going crazy, his gut instinct was telling him it was indeed her talking to him somehow.

He looked at the VIP stand. There she was. Already looking directly at him. Gut instinct told him that she said those words to him. Ash had no doubt about it now. She still believed, when he himself was not. It helped him realized that his Pokemon believed in him too. He can't just chicken out like this. It would be too easy. And too disrespectful not only to Cynthia. But to his Pokemon too. Even to Paul, Brock, and Dawn in the stands. They all want him to fight till the very end with everything he's got. Ash gave Cynthia a smile and made final decision. _"Not quitting yet."_

Tobias was observing him carefully. He wondered if this is how far he'll be pushed today. Tobias wants more. And he knew Ash can give it to him. As he was observing him he caught a glimpse of something strange. Ash's left side of the abdomen was shining in a blue light through his clothes. It was for a brief moment. And it wasn't bigger than a tennis ball. But it was there. He was probably the only one who saw it since everyone was so far away. _"This match is getting weirder and weirder."_

Ash looked back at his pokeball again. This was his last Pokemon. His last hope against Tobias. And with Pikachu his strongest Pokemon. "Hope you are ready big guy. We have a lot of work in front of us"

"Green trainer please choose your last Pokemon or I'll be forced to disqualify you" said the referee.

"Sure thing boss" said Ash happily once again.

* * *

 _Flashback_

 _It was around sometime after midnight in the Sinnoh region. In the Pokemon Center 3B sat Ash Ketchum in his room with sleepy Pikachu in front of him on the table. He just received the pep talk from Cynthia and Paul. However, his thoughts weren't on the talk, rather on his team which he's going to use. He already knew that Pikachu, Sceptile, Infernape, and Snorlax are going to be in his ultimate team. He had a feeling that this isn't enough to take Tobias down. Pikachu and Sceptile have what it takes to do this. Infernape still lacks experience in this. Snorlax is on Sceptile's level of power. But Ash was never good with the more defensive type of Pokemon like Snorlax. But he needed those too, to tire Tobias's Pokemon out. Torkoal could be a good addition. He nearly took out Registeel. But he wouldn't withstand the training that he has in mind for them most likely. Then he thought about Glalie. Glalie is pretty bulky and has the determination he is looking for. Yeah, he'll be great. That left one spot open. He thought about it hard. But there was no way that he could pull through without that guy._

 _"Shall we go and get the big guy Pikachu?" asked Ash his yellow Pokemon._

 _"Pika!" Pikachu yelled at him with a smile as he jumped on Ash's shoulder. He and his friend had a friendly rivalry between them. Who is strongest in raw power? Pikachu knows that he can't take big hits like his bigger friend. But in terms of raw power, they are pretty much equal. They can finally test this again._

 _Ash smiled at his Pikachu and went back to the main hall in the Pokemon Center. It was pitch black here. Luckily he brought a flashlight. Few seconds after he found a computer with telephone in the empty hall. Ash sat down and dialed a number. After few seconds of ringing a young woman her twenties with spiky green hair picked up. "Hallo?" she asked._

 _"Hi there Liza. I want to ask you something." asked Ash eagerly, getting to the point right away._

 _Liza smiled at seeing a familiar face. "Hi, Ash. Pikachu. Let me guess. Sinnoh league?" Liza asked._

 _"Yeah. How is he doing?" asked Ash. Gosh it is such a long time since he heard about him._

 _"Great. That Pokemon is a training machine. Others admire him so much he is now leading it here basically. Oh and Ash." Liza made a dramatic pause "He's going to be a father soon too." smiled Liza as she gave Ash the news._

 _Baffled Ash sat still with wide eyes, nearly dropping the phone. "Y.. You mean that he and Charla...". Ash chocked on his words and had no clue what to say next. But thankfully Liza beat him to it._

 _"Yep, they sure did. Little ones should be here in 3 months." Liza replied happily._

 _"Damn. Heh. You have something to look forward to if they are going to be like their father." Ash replied and gave Lisa a cheeky smile._

 _"Pff. Yeah. Can't wait" Liza replied sarcastically. "But that's not why are you calling." replied Liza_

 _"Yeah. Would he like to come back for a while? If that's OK with you and him of course? He's going to have a family now so I don't want to sep-" Ash asked and continued until he was interrupted by Liza._

 _"God are you kidding me?" she nearly yelled at him. She paused for a few seconds. "When I said to him that you are in a Sinnoh league he stood by the window watching my TV with you in it every day! I think he is even angry at you for not calling him to the battle. Of course, he can come back for a few battles. Charla and I can handle a few days without him watching over the Valley." finished Liza._

 _"I... thank you."_

 _"Yeah, I wouldn't thank me if I were you. You are gonna receive one hot Flamethrower as soon as you let him out."_

 _"Worth it"_

 _"Okay, Ash. I'm going to find him and send him to you right away. Hope that I won't interrupt something. Those two are like Bunearys in heat when I'm not in their sight." said Liza as she stood up and was made her way out of the screen. It's evening in Johto region due to a different time zone when Ash called, and he is thankful that Liza picked the phone now, because he needs Charizard early in the morning._

 _"You could've just said you are going to find him. I didn't need to know the rest." replied Ash to himself sadly. But Pikachu was on the other end smiling evilly. O Yes. His rival will not hear the end of these things that he just found out._

 _Flashback End_

* * *

"CHARIZARD, I CHOOSE YOU!" Ash shouted from the top of his lungs soon the pokeball revealed an enormous orange dragon by Charizard standards. He was thrice the height of Tobias. And make no mistake. Tobias is a tall guy.

"That's one big Charizard you have Ash." said Tobias calmly, not being intimidated by the sheer size of orange lizard at all.

"He sure is." replied Ash, with nostalgia flooding his head now. His best battles always had Charizard in them somewhere. And this will be the best of the best, he will make sure of it.

"You've put up a good fight Ash." said Tobias

"I'm not done yet Tobias." replied Ash. With the confidence he lost for a few minutes.

 _"That's what I wanted to hear"_ thought Tobias.

"Lugia vs Charizard. Begin!" announced referee.

"Take the skies Lugia/Charizard!" said/yelled both trainers.

"Charizard use Dragon Rage!" yelled Ash.

"Lugia Hydro Pump!" said Tobias calm as ever.

But next thing startled Tobias. Those two attacks canceled each other in a form of an explosion in the skies. That meant that Ash's tactics will most likely change. Now he has the firepower on his side. This will be much harder than before. What is this?! His Charizard is just complete insanity. Basic starter Pokemon going toe-to-toe with Lugia. Unbelievable.

"Charizard use Dragon Tail!" yelled shot with a speed comparable to Pikachu at Lugia and slammed his tail into Lugia's neck. Lugia cried out in pain as the dragon type move damaged her neck. But she didn't fall. She composed herself quickly.

 _"He is insanely fast too"_ thought Tobias. "Hydro Pump!" commanded Tobias and Lugia almost immediately shot Hydro Pump at Charizard. Charizard got hit by it. But he didn't seem to mind. If anything, it got him even angrier.

"Charizard prepare your Dragon Tail and send it back!" Ash yelled at his most powerful Pokemon. It was a strange command. But when Charizard saw 4 cubes of energy making its way towards him he understood. And like a professional baseball player, he swung his bat-tail and sent those four cubes back at surprised Lugia. Hitting her with every single one, damaging Lugia with her own attack. _"Huh. Another sniper."_ thought Ash.

"Lugia Sky Attack!" Tobias said again unfazed by the turn off events unfolding on the battlefield.

 _"No running back this time"_ thought Ash. Lugia was chasing Charizard in the skies with a white glow around her. The stadium watched what looked like a dance in the skies. Spins, quick turns and much more displayed the flying skills of the two powerful Pokemon.

Dodging Charizard looked at Ash during one of his spins, and seeing the familiar smile on Ash's face, he stopped dodging in the air and turned around to face the Sky Attack head on.

"Charizard! Brace yourself for the impact!" yelled Ash again.

Corners of Charizard's mouth formed a smile. Charizard raised his hands and prepared himself for the impact. Lugia struggled against his grip but he had his claws holding he in place with no option to escape.

"Charizard, SEISMIC TOSS!" yelled Ash very loudly.

Ash himself was surprised when instead of circling in the skies, his Charizard shot with Lugia straight up and with one swift sharp turn, he turned around diving back to the battlefield, with Lugia in his hands. In addition, he began spinning rapidly, resembling a wind drill diving into the battlefield.

"Lugia. Hydro Pump!" Tobias raised his voic.

Being hold by Charizard and their face's being only few centimeters apart, Lugia released Hydro Pump straight into Charizard's face as they were diving steadily to the ground. That was extremely painful for the orange dragon. Point-blank range. Water type's strongest attack from a legendary Pokemon to top it all off. But as was Charizard's habit, instead of crying out in pain, he let out a relentless thunderous roar, continuing the descend to the burnt battlefield, slamming that sea serpent into the ground. The force of the impact was strong enough to create series of shockwaves that were so intense, that some people in the audience had to cover their eyes as the gust of wind would irritate their eyes.

Dust slowly cleared and revealed badly bruised, heavily breathing Charizard still standing on its feet. Across him is Lugia. She was is there, defeated, with swirls in her eye.

"Lugia is unable to battle. Send out your next Pokemon." surprised referee replied.

 **"IT'S NOT OVER YET FOLKS! ASH STRIKES AGAIN WITH HIS MIGHTY CHARIZARD! WHO WOULD HAVE THOUGHT THAT ASH KETCHUM WILL SCORE A LEGENDARY HATTRICK IN THE MORNING!"** the overall energetic commentator completely lost control and yelled into the microphone with all he had.

The whole stadium roared again. A crowd was suddenly cheering for Ash much more. Chanting his name, encouraging him to go further and show the world that even a simple Charmander you recieve as your first Pokemon can one day beat legendary Pokemon. The people in the stands were witnessinng an underdog story right before their eyes, and they loved it.

"Congratulation are in order Ash. Lugia is my strongest Pokemon." said Tobias calmly again. And it is true. Mainly because of that one move. Future Sight. It's so annoying to face against and in most cases, it's a game changer.

"Not surprised. It beat up 3 of my Pokemon without much of an effort and she still hold herself against my Charizard. And for your information, Charizard is my strongest Pokemon." Ash informed Tobias.

 _"Let's see what you'll do against him."_ thought Tobias as he threw another Pokemon into the air.

 **"WHAT THE FUCK? I AM SORRY FOLKS BUT THIS IS JUST RIDICULOUS. HERE IS ANOTHER ONE. HOW MANY ON THEM DOES THIS GUY HAVE?! GIVE IT UP FOR ANOTHER LEGENDARY POKEMON. DNA POKEMON HIMSELF. DEOXYS!"** said the commentator as he could not keep the f-word in. How is this possible again?!

And the crowd went crazy. The stadium was in an uproar again. The Pokemon from space itself was before audiences very eyes. Examining him in real life, he looked a bit creepy to most of the audience.

"Tobias this is getting ridiculous even for me. Just how many legendary Pokemon you have." asked Ash.

"I guess you deserve to know." Tobias paused for a moment, creating tension in now quiet stadium. "There is one more."

"Great." said Ash sarcastically. And on the other end Tobias chuckled.

"Deoxys vs Charizard. Begin!" said the referee. Man, the referee can't wait to tell his co-workers what he witnessed today.

"Deoxys Zap Cannon!" said Tobias.

"Charizard use Flamethrower!" yelled Ash

A greenish sphere was formed and thrown against a Flamethrower resulting in another massive explosion sending another wave of shockwaves throughout the stadium. Even though attacks were equal, their Pokemon were not. Charizard is bruised from the side effects of his Seismic Toss, and the Hydro Pump to the face. This battle has to be fast if Ash wants to win.

"Deoxys Speed Form and Aerial Ace." suddenly Deoxys's body shapeshifts into the much more slick, slender and aerodynamic look. After the transformation, he rammed into Charizard's belly before Ash could even register it and he returned to his post.

Charizard looked into the skies roared in anger again and meanwhile Ash's brain was thinking about the way to counter the various forms of Deoxys. Unfortunately, nothing came to mind at this point.

"Charizard use Dragon Rage!" yelled Ash. Hopefully, this will buy him some time to think of something.

"Defense Form and Iron Defence!" said Tobias.

Deoxys shapeshifted to a bulkier version of him and used Iron Defense. When Dragon Rage hit Deoxys he was fine. Not a scratch on his plates.

"Charizard use Dragon Rage. Full power!" tired Charizard charged and released his move to his maximum extent. But Deoxys stood still again.

"Iron Defense again" And the result was nearly identical. Only this time Deoxys felt that Dragon Rage a little.

"Attack Form, Zap Cannon!" said Tobias.

"Charizard UP and fly as high as you can!" yelled Ash. By now, Ash had a plan. Thinking about all the forms Deoxys can take, he knew once Attack Form comes into play, he has a chance.

"Speed Form and Aerial Ace." said Tobias.

As soon as Ash heard a word 'speed' Ash quickly shouted. "DIVEFLAMETHROWERSPIN!" yelled Ash incredibly fast and loudly.

Deoxys jumped from the ground like a rocket, breaking the sound barrier in an instant and flew incredibly fast against an orange dragon. But Charizard was far enough to have enough time to perform the combo. Deoxys was a several meters from him when Charizard began his attack. Diving in Charizard started to and dive and spin. With the addition of Flamethrower a small mini fire tornado was heading towards Deoxys. Not being the strongest in this form, Deoxys was quickly overpowered by Charizard's combo attack and damaged enormously. In this form, Deoxys doesn't have a big defense either.

Immediately after the hit came. Another command was announced.

"SEISMIC TOSS!" yelled Ash. It was like he had it timed perfectly to not let Tobias's do anything. Charizard got out of his fire vortex and grabbed Deoxys, by his arms. This transition was so smooth that Charizard didn't lose any speed through the change of attacks. They were now diving back to the ground together at an incredible speed.

"PSYCHIC!" yelled Tobias. He fell into some trap again. He should be mad, but Tobias got excited instead. He was so sure that he would hit him in time, when he went for an Aerial Ace. Big mistake. Psychic attack more of a desperate call. It would take some time to change form for Deoxys. And Tobias didn't have time since they were now several meters from the ground in Charizard's Seismic Toss. Psychic is the fastest attack Deoxys could perform. That was the only option for him.

Charizard was diving to the ground with all he had. Then he felt something in his mind. He tried to shake it off with a grunt but couldn't. Something was trying to slow him down. But it wasn't very efficient. Deoxys still shaken after the hit from 'Flamethrower vertical spin combo' couldn't muster the power to break Charizard's mind. His will to do Ash's biding was too much to break at this moment.

Both crashed into the battlefield dusting everything around them. The audience was on its feet to see who came on top. People stood from their seats and got to the railings for a better view of the impact. And when the dust finally cleared both Pokemon were on the ground lying.

And to the surprise of many, it is a shaken Charizard, who found the strength to pull himself back to the feet. But it wasn't a pretty sight on Ash's Charizard. He was completely worn out. Mind battles and then the fall. Not to mention the fight with Lugia before. It was truly too much for him. But he STILL stood there. Breathing slowly. When he wanted to take a deep breath to get some oxygen into his body, he stopped quickly when he found out that it would not be so easy as a sharp pain in his chest made deep breaths impossible. _"No deep breaths. Got it."_ thought the orange lizard. It took him everything not to faint. He thought he heard something but he quickly dismissed that. His hearing was long gone. With a blurry vision, he was able to understand that the referee is talking. And Tobias's lips moved too. Then Tobias let out his final Pokemon. He looked at the final Pokemon with a keen eye. _"BRING IT ON!"_ Charizard thought. More like roared to himself, since he couldn't open his mouth properly. But even the thinking hurt. _"Charizard."_ he heard his trainer's voice. But it wasn't from the outside world. It was in his mind. He was still deaf from the impact and mind games that Deoxys did to him. He couldn't understand how it is possible. So he just asked. _"Ash?"_

Meanwhile outside of his mind referee announced. "Deoxys is unable to battle. Please send out your last Pokemon." announced the referee. He got over the shocks from seeing legendary Pokemon defeated by Ash by now.

"I hadn't expected that it would come to this." said Tobias. Then he let out his final Pokemon.

 **"AND THERE WE HAVE IT! FOLKS ANOTHER WIN FOR MIGHTY CHARIZARD! THIS DRAGON COULD BE CONSIDER LEGENDARY POKEMON TOO IF YOU ASK ME. BUT IT DOESN'T LOOK GOOD FOR THE FIRE DRAGON. HIS OPPONENT IS YET ANOTHER LEGENDARY POKEMON. GIVE IT UP FOR THE COLLOSAL POKEMON. LEADER OF THE REGIS. REGIGIGAS! CAN CHARIZARD MAKE IT PAST YET ANOTHER LEGENDARY POKEMON?"** yelled the Sinnoh commentator for the hundredth time today. And with him, the whole stadium roared and after that, most of them cheering for Charizard.

Ash, on the other hand, stood there looking at the battlefield awestruck. Not because there was the leader of the Regi trio. No. He is looking at Charizard. He is bruised all over the place. And he saw his back only. But one thing terrified him too no end as soon as he layed his eyes on it. His tail. Last time his flame was in this state was on Orange Islands. Not a good sign. Then he felt like something in Charizard is calling up to him. It was like his Pokemon needed him in a strange way. In a few seconds, Ash heard _"BRING IT ON"_. But the voice was in his mind again. However, this voice was deep and terrifying. It was wasn't a human voice like with Cynthia. It had some animalistic meaning to it. As his eyes were locked on Charizard he realized who it must be. His gut told him again that it is Charizard's voice. And you know Ash. He listens to his gut more then to his brain. So, Ash just went for it. _"Charizard."_ and to his surprise, he heard an answer in his mind. _"Ash?"._

* * *

 _"You can hear me?" Ash asked in his mind to confirm his suspicions._

 _"Seems li... like...it" Charizard responded very weakly._

 _"You OK?" asked Ash. Stupid question? Yes. But he wants to know what he'll answer._

 _"Yea... Ye...Yeah... N... Ne...v..ver... b... be...tter" Charizard had to breathe in a little every time he spoke._

 _"...Charizard... You did well."_

 _" Wh... What?"_

 _"Listen. I can see why you want to battle. We are close to beating him. But you are in no condition for battle. I mean, this looks like your mindscape and you still can't say a word without taking a breath in. You are completely drained. And I mean to the last drop. You are now standing there by... I don't know what keeps you on your feet, but it sure as hell isn't energy. Charizard... You can't battle_ _against Regigigas_ _in this state. I'm throwing a towel."_

 _"N...n... n.. o" Charizard replied slowly. What is he thinking? He sure as hell can melt that giant robot like thing with something. And Ash isn't going to stop him._

 _"Charizard. You took down two of them. Two legendary Pokemon in a row. I don't know another Pokemon who has this kind of a run. You are the biggest fighter I know. And I am incredibly proud of you" Ash praised his strongest pokemon then he continued. "Just lie down and rest. We'll can do this next year again. And I swear to you. Next time we meet Tobias, I'll call you and we'll beat him. Together."_

 _"..." Charizard couldn't make a word. He is really tired. And talking with Ash, in mind or whatever it is, is weakening him further. He hates quitting. But Ash said that he'll be there for a rematch. And who knows. Maybe if he'll train harder he'll take Tobias's team all by himself. Oh yeah. That would be great. OK. He'll let it slide for now. But Ash will still receive big ass Flamethrower to the face anyway._

* * *

"Regigigas vs. Char..." referee began talking. But he was interrupted by Ash.

 _"Hope you'll forgive me for this guys."_ Ash thought as he thought about all the people he is going to dissapoint. But this is for Charizard's well being. Nothing else mattered. All of his Pokemon gave it everything today. All of them went a overboard with their will to fight today. But Charizard took it to extreme's as he still stood before him, when he should be down already. Taunting Ash in a way. To continue. But he had enough. Time to say it.

"I SURREDNDER!"

* * *

 **Author's note: And the climax is finally here. No more fights in next 3-4 chapters. I had enough. It's really hard to do them properly. And yes Ash lost this fight. I hope you are not too mad. But he'll became much better fighter in near future. And this is a Prologue after all. Speaking of Prologue. Last chapter will be last Prologue chapter. Important stuff's will happen there. And Ash's aura abilities are beginning to manifest. Yay.**

 **That's it for now.**

 **Reviews are appreciated.**


	4. Prologue IV: Higher power strikes

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Pokemon or any of these characters.**

 **Author's note: Another Chapter. Finally the Prologue is finished. Thank God.**

"classic conversation"

 _"thoughts"_

 **That is all for now. Enjoy.**

* * *

 **Prologue IV: Higher power strikes**

"He nearly had it." said Aaron.

Champion, Elite Four, and Charles were making their way through the corridors of the stadium. They were headed to their respective hotels to get some sleep after the eventful day. Ash's match had ended about half hour ago. Noone expected Ash to surrender, but it happened. He gave in and let Tobias win.

"Who would have thought that his Charizard could bring him back to the game..." asked Lucian more of a rhetorical question, not expecting an answer.

"You certainly wouldn't. You gave him zero chances to win." shot back Aaron. Lucian's behavior irritated Aaron to no end. Especially when Lucian has that 'I know everything attitude'. So annoying.

"And he had zero chances. If you want from a some simple Charizard to beat 3 legendary Pokemon, then you are mental." shot back Lucian.

"If you think that was just 'some simple Charizard' then you are the one who's mental!" shot Aaron back at Lucian.

"Stop it! Both of you! You are acting like two immature kids in kindergarten" Bertha scolded the younger members of the Elite Four. Gosh. She just had to have these guys as her colleagues. If it weren't for Charles, she would leave the Elite Four spot as soon as possible. Younger generation invaded Sinnoh's Elite Four and the very top. Those three acted so immaturely sometimes it was unbelievable. She would have thought that Lucian would be wiser since he is a Psychic specialist and is 21 years old. But No. The most grown-up of those is Champion herself. And she is fifteen!

"Fine." spat Aaron. Aaron could be a bunch sometimes, but he is a nice to the people who are nice to him too. Unfortunately Lucian isn't one of the nice ones. "By the way. What's going on Flint? You have been unusually quiet." asked Aaron his friend.

"Heh. Sorry had been thinking a lot lately." chuckled Flint. And he was truly thinking, as unusual as it is for him to do. Two things are on his mind. Two Pokemon more precisely. And not his Pokemon. Being the fire type lover he is he fell in love with Ash's Charizard and Infernape. Just seeing both of them duking it out with legendaries was great. But when they showed what they can pull off, it was just amazing. Especially that Charizard. Ash's Infernape was cool and all. He would've to give Flint's one run for his money. But his Charizard is on a whole new level. Such a magnificent and terrifying creature. Just his gigantic roars were music to Flint's ears. He wished to meet them both. Maybe he could, hey are probably on the island still.

"Yeah. I know about what already." said smugly Lucian.

"We all know." added Aaron.

As this was going on few steps behind them, Cynthia with Charles were walking. They were quiet the whole time. Which was getting awkward for Charles. Not for Cynthia though. Thousand's of thoughts about the Kanto boy were running through her head, that she couldn't be bothered by the outside world.

"Sooooo. What did you think about Ash's battle?" Charles broke the silence between them.

"I think he did wonderfully! What he accomplished is beyond words! I myself wouldn't be able to pull this off. He is just amazing! But... I am afraid that he doesn't see it that way. I'll visit him soon to check how he's handling it. He is too hard on himself sometimes" answered Cynthia in her sweet neutral tone.

"Can I join you? I would like to exchange few words with him." asked Flint immediately as he turned his head to the Champ.

"Sure. Why not. Just behave yourself OK?" replied Cynthia politely. But something in her wanted to be with Ash all alone. In her hotel room. Candles lit everywhere. Flowers on the bed. Blushing Cynthia realized where her mind was going and quickly shook it away. _"NO! No! Bad Cynthia! Very very bad Cynthia! Behave yourself girl!"_ Damn puberty and raging hormones. What was happening?!

"Of course I'll behave myself. Who do you think I am Champ?!" replied a little angry Flint.

"A moron?" answered Lucian.

"Nobody asked you anything Psycho." Flint shot back.

 _"I am too old for this."_ thought Bertha.

"Guys please." said Charles as he saw the defeated expression on Bertha's face deciding to help her calm the storm. Charles just realized, he sent her with these guys to Unova. For a whole month. Poor woman. _"Sorry about that Bertha."_

"OK! OK! OK. I am calm. So. When are we heading to meet him Champ?" asked Flint a red-faced Champ.

"I think we can go right now." said Cynthia. It took a while for her to realize what she just said. Why on Earth did she say that? She can't go to meet Ash with these things in her mind! _"Please say later. Please say later."_ How can she lose composure like that?!

"GREAT! Let's hit the road Champ! You know where he is right! By the way are you OK? Your whole face is red."

"I..I .. I'm fine. Let's get this over with." stuttered Cynthia nervously. And with that, she went ahead to be spared from the looks of her friends. Flint darted out right behind her.

"Two months." said Charles to Bertha with a big smile and crossed hands.

"Oh please, Charles. She can't keep it in for that long. I say one month max." said a smiling Bertha. Which was a rare sight. But something like young love can create a smile on her face. Especially if both parties are so cute.

"Wanna bet? Twenty pokedollars on at least two months." asked Charles challengingly.

"Sure. One month max." replied Bertha. Then she shook his hand.

The other two members stood there watching their friends leave. None of them had the slightest clue what was happening. Lucian didn't pay much of an attention, and Aaron just didn't understand what in the world could make Cynthia stutter.

* * *

"How are you doing Ash?" asked Brock his friend.

Brock, Dawn, Barry, and Paul are all in the Pokemon Center 3B. After Ash's match ended they quickly ran to him. To the place where he would probably be healing his Pokemon. And they were right. As soon as they entered, the gang spotted him on the red sofa, sitting and looking into the distance thinking about something. And Brock's question is the first thing to bring him back to reality.

"I'm sorry guys." said Ash sadly.

"What for?" asked concerned Dawn.

"That I let everyone down." replied Ash.

"You are the dumbest person I have ever met. No competition." said in his monotone voice Paul. Ash looked at Paul as he was preparing his long apology to them. But Paul beat him to it. "You didn't let anyone down. Quite the opposite actually. You took down 4 legendary Pokemon in one single match. What is there to apologize for fucks sake!" said Paul. His last sentence was a little louder.

"I surrendered..." said Ash sadly again.

Brock was going to say something, but Paul beat him to it again.

"THAT'S what's bothering you? Stop mopping already. We saw why you did it. We have eyes too you know. You should be proud of what you accomplished. It's actually insulting this attitude of yours. Do you really think so lowly of your friends. You think that they would dumped you just because you couldn't beat five legendary Pokemon?!" finished Paul his lecture to Ash.

"I don't want to insult any of you in any way. I promised them at the dinner that I'll win. I didn't. That's why I am apologizing." said Ash back. Not sadly this time. This time, with a sign of anger in his voice

"Does it look like they care that you lost?" Paul pointed at Dawn and Brock "And what the fuck are you guys doing?" Paul asked as he was eyeing Brock and Dawn "What the fuck am I doing? This is your job! He is your friend not mine!" yelled Paul to Brock and Dawn.

"You are being his friend. That's what you are doing." said Brock completely unfazed by Paul's outburst. As soon as he said it Paul suddenly shut up.

"But if you want to hear my part then here it is." said Brock to Paul. "OK, Ash. I saw you compete in 4 leagues already. Did I ever despise you just because you lost. Yes or no?" asked Brock.

"No, but I prom..." said Ash.

"No, buts Ash. The answer is no. And I am sure that Dawn feels it like this too. Don't you Dawn?" Brock lectured his little brother and asked Dawn.

Dawn nodded and smiled at Ash. _"Brock sure knows how to do this."_ Paul's tantrum was a joy to look at. But it didn't accomplish anything. Brock on the other hand...

"So let's celebrate Ash's fourth place in Sinnoh league by going somewhere to eat. It is your best placement in the league after all. You are welcomed to join Barry and Paul. It's on me." said Brock with a smile.

"I'll join you! I am soooo hungry right now! And you'll have to pay me for defeating that Darkrai before me Ash!" Barry yelled. Barry just stood there watching the exchange not knowing what to exactly do. Even though they didn't know each other much, he liked Ash. Or at least, respects as a trainer.

"I'll pass." said Paul in his monotone voice, making his way out of the Pokemon Center. He is now a little embarrassed by his anger explosion. Did he really consider Ash his friend?

"... Thanks." Ash said after a long pause.

"Hey, what are friends for right?" asked Dawn as she threw her one arm around Ash a smiled.

"Yeah." and Ash finally smiled again.

* * *

And after 2 hours Ash is finally acting like his usual self, which is a great thing to see. They ate in a nice restaurant. And Brock regretted his idea inviting them for food though. Barry's and Ash's appetite knows no boundaries. His wallet became a lot lighter that day, but at least his friend was back. That's a plus.

They are walking on the path leading to a Pokemon center, which is surrounded by various stands with food like hotdogs, donuts and more, souvenirs stands and various attraction stands. Merchants are trying to profit from the success of this league, so every path on the Lily of the Valley island is covered with multiple stands with various things. But only one caught Ash's interest.

"Oswald! Hi there!" said Ash as he made his way to the ice-cream stand.

"Ahhhh. The famous Ash Ketchum. A pleasure to see you here," said the long-haired man behind the stand.

"Famous?" asked Barry. Clearly totally oblivious to what could've caused this.

"Heh? Haven't you heard it? This lad beat 4 legendary Pokemon in his semi-final battle. It's all over the place. TV, websites and I bet tomorrow's newspapers will be talking about it too." asked Oswald the others.

Dawn chuckled. "We've been there, mister. When Ash defeated those Pokemon. It's just we didn't expect it spread so fast like this."

"Aaaahhh. Well, it's already here. I have heard several people talk about you. Nothing bad of course. They wished things like your autograph, photos and..." Oswald stated and then nervously adding. "... other stuff."

"Which stuff?" asked Ash as he finally stopped looking at all the delicious ice cream flavors and joined the conversation. He is surprised that he was so famous. Ash himself was always the one who wanted those things. photos with champions and their signatures.

It felt weird that some people want that from him now. But what other things could they possibly want?

"Ermm... well... how would I put this... Let's just say that some ladies don't want your signature on paper but on the... other... places ... and with some... bonuses. And leave it at that." Oswald was very nervous talking about this. Not because he is shy talking these things. No. It is because of his daughter. She is one of the ladies that he was talking about. How could girls start to fall for a guy in a matter of few hours is beyond him. She didn't tell him of course. But when he came back home for supplies an hour ago. She forgot to close the doors to her room and he heard things that father of a daughter shouldn't. _"Ashhh... ooooh... right THeeEREe!..."_. Brrrrrr. Let's change the topic.

"So what will it be?" asked Oswald.

"Brock you still paying?" asked Ash.

"With what? A kidney?" answered irritated Brock. He is drained to the last pokedollar and Ash would still try to milk his wallet more. What a friend. Speaking of his friend. HOW IN THE HELL COULD GIRLS FALL FOR HIM? He tried so hard to achieve the same thing and nothing. Not a single one. Ash doesn't even try and he has the whole bunch of girls ready to jump with him into the bed. AND HE'S THIRTEEN! That's just not fair. And not a single member of their group realizes it.

"Well... You still have two of them right? You could spare one for my stomach," replied Ash to Brock sarcastically.

The other to members of the gang began laughing hysterically. But in the end, Ash paid the ice cream for everyone sparing Brock's kidney. Soon after that, they made their way to the Pokemon Center. Barry separated from them since he is seated in a different one during the tournament, leaving our Sinnoh trio alone. Not for long though.

* * *

After several minutes, they made it back to the Pokemon Center. And instantly they were greeted by an enthusiast with a red afro. They all knew him very well.

"Finally. I have been waiting here for at least an hour. Hi Ash. How are you doing? You know what forget that. Can you show me your Charizard and Infernape please?" asked the afro man in his energetic manner.

"FLINT! What did I say to you!" dangerous voice of a girl was heard throughout Pokemon Center. Sitting in the sofa facing the TV, the group didn't see her face, only her hair. She raised from her seat and went their way. Cynthia is truly scary when she wants to be. For a fifteen-year old girl.

"Sorry Champ. I'm just so excited! It's the strongest fire Pokemon I ever saw. I couldn't hold it." he is like a kid before Christmas.

"Okay. I get it. But let me handle this first. Then you can do whatever you want." said Cynthia in her gently voice.

"Hi, Cynthia, Flint." Our three heroes greeted them simultaneously.

"Hi." said Flint and waited for Cynthia to do her thing, so he could have Ash and his fire Pokemon to himself.

"Ermmm... I... I'm sorry. I didn't win as I promised. I would have won it if I didn't do those stupid mistakes. I hope you are not to mad at me Cynthia." Ash said sincerely to the Sinnoh champion. He was so nervous right now. Being in Cynthia's presence is very intimidating. Ash felt so small compared to her.

"What are you talking about Ash. You didn't promise me anything," said Cynthia in her natural sweet tone.

"I... I did. Remember. The pep talk?" said Ash a little nervous. He could lie and get out off it. But he was an honest guy. Besides. Cynthia deserved the truth from him.

"Yeah. From what I remember you told me 'I'll win this conference!'." said, Cynthia, as she put an index finger to her chin which just made her cuter in everyone's eyes. Seeing Cynthia deep in thoughts, Ash got scared. The last thing he needs is Sinnoh Champion being angry at him.

"Hmmm... nope. No promise there." said Cynthia. "So why are you apologizing?" said Cynthia in her natural voice again. It's basically the voice of angels to Ash. He wondered if others thought this too.

"Wh... What?" asked Ash. She said it herself. He didn't deliver on the promise he made.

"What? What?" asked Cynthia. She loved toying with him. It is so much fun.

"You said it yourself. I promised you and Paul to win this conference. I didn't keep that." Ash tried to explain, but she only released a cute giggle. This is getting nowhere. Does she do this because she is mad?

"Really?"

"Yes!" said Ash a little louder than he would've liked.

"Hmmmm...Well... from what I heard, you have to say 'I promise' to promise something to someone. So I don't see a problem with your statement. Am I right Dawn?" Cynthia said calmly and asked Dawn.

"Yes, Cynthia." said Dawn chuckling at the banter between Cynthia and Ash.

"Anything else Ash?" said Cynthia in her natural tone.

"I.- ehh... that's.- but-" stuttered Ash looking for answers.

"I'll take that as a no. So stop apologizing and face the fact that you did nothing wrong. You did great in the battle against Tobias. You should be proud of what you accomplished. It was something unbelievable," Cynthia raised her voice a little. It was mostly because she wants Ash to feel a little scared and go with what she just said.

"I..." Ash then looked at Cynthia and was terrified. She had that ' **DON'T YOU FUCKING DARE!'** look. And the fact that she is slightly taller than Ash didn't help him feel any better either.

"OK! OK. I'll... I'll stop apologizing now." replied Ash nervously.

"Wonderful." Cynthia said happily clapping her hands. "Now that we have this out of the way. Flint...?" She waited for a few seconds. But she got no response. "Flint?!" she looked behind her where he should stand, but he wasn't there. She then looked around the hall in Pokemon Center, and saw him sitting on the red sofa. Sleeping... Really?

"Ash Ketchum. Your Pokemon are all healed" stated the Nurse Joy at the counter surprising our heroes.

"Excuse me." said Ash as he made his way to the counter.

"You have a manual on him or something? Because that was smooth." said Brock. Wow. To handle Ash like this? That deserves a medal.

"I don't know. It came to me naturally. Now if you too excuse me. I have to go wake up snoring Elite Four member of this region." Cynthia said. It really sounded ridiculous when she put it that way.

* * *

After several minutes of persuading, Ash finally let Flint meet his Pokemon. Mainly his Charizard and Infernape. The whole gang went to a training field behind the Pokemon Center, which was repaired already. Ash released his Pokemon and as he was preparing to thank them for their hard work, he was greeted by Charizard's Flamethrower to the face. Cynthia and Flint worried about Ash's well being rushed to aid Ash. It took some time to explain how his relationship with Charizard works, but they kinda understood in the end a let the things be as they are. Even thought they didn't like the fact Ash is being burnt to a crisp every now and then.

After the conversation with his Pokemon praising them and promising them rematch, and giving them an apology, everything was back to normal. Flint is examining Charizard and Infernape. Sceptile and Glalie are under the nearby tree taking it easy after those 3 hard days. And Snorlax is under his own, bigger tree, snoring under it's shade. Dawn released her Piplup too. He got injured when he tried to stop Charizard's training before the match. Thanks to this mistake, he missed the match. Now he is OK, but he keeps his distance from Charizard. Taking the safe route, Piplup began chatting with Pikachu about the match. Other four humans are sitting on the terrace in a nice shade.

"I thought that Sinnoh was supposed to be a cool region. But it is rather warm here." said Ash looking up at the sun that is shining brightly today yet again with not a cloud in sights.

"It normally is but this seas..." Dawn started talking only to be interrupted by a buzzing sound of the phone. And it wasn't hers.

"Excuse me, please." Cynthia answered politely and picked up a phone and went to answer the call. The conversation continued to be about the weather, until Cynthia finally came back to the table. And she looked sad. It didn't suit her at all and Brock was the first one to notice her solemn expression.

"Is everything OK Cynthia?" asked Brock.

"Yes. It's just some stupid thing. Don't worry about it." replied Cynthia trying to hide her emotions, but to no avail.

"Cynthia. It clearly isn't. You can tell us." said Ash in a soothing voice. Worried about her. Their abdomens shined blue yet again. But this time it was so small, that it was nearly impossible to see.

Cynthia couldn't say no to Ash when he asked her like this. And they were all good people. She already knows a lot about all of them so why not to share something from her life.

"OK. Have you heard about Steven? The Champion from Hoenn?" asked Cynthia with a sigh.

"Oh yes, he became a Champion 2 years ago. He's the one who likes rocks and archeology," replied Dawn. She is the type of girl that likes to spread and receive gossips. So she is pretty well informed with celebrities like him.

"Yes. Well, I've been in touch with him for last two years because of our common hobby. Steven called me and said that he found an amazing artifact that is from a prehistoric age. It could give us a lot of information about the past. He called me saying he's staying in Celestic Town for a week and hoped to give it to me for the examination. But I can't leave for the whole two weeks this island because of the conference. So I'm gonna miss it. After he gets back to Hoenn that artefact will be locked in the lab and I'll never see it again." Cynthia sadly replied.

"Couldn't he send it here? Or he himself come here?" asked Ash, hoping to give her an alternative.

"He can't give it to post. God knows where it would end. And he has only a week. Plus. He has a lot of work in Celestic Town, so he can't come here." replied sad Cynthia.

"And could you send someone there to pick it up for you and after a few days return it to him?" asked Ash curiously.

"Maybe. But who would've gone there because I want to see some stupid leather old necklace with an even older and stupider tusk as a pendant." answered Cynthia.

"Does it matter who would go? It seems pretty important to you." said Ash soothing Cynthia.

Dawn was about to say something when Brock stopped her. Saying her by the look just let Ash handle this one. Than Brock took Dawn's hand and made his way to the battlefield to Ash's Pokemon with Flint. Dawn caught off guard didn't comment on it as she was dragged away. But after it, she questioned Brock until he finally told her something that left her jaw wide open. _"Cynthia?! There is no way..."_ she thought, not believing the theory Brock came up with.

"It... is. That tusk on this necklace could be from some undiscovered prehistoric Pokemon. I would love to see it. But what can I do. Life moves on." said Cynthia, dealing with the fact, that she will never see this necklace again. Ash and Cynthia were so caught in their conversation, they didn't even register Dawn and Brock sneaking away.

"I'll get there and bring the necklace to you." stated Ash.

"What?" asked surprised Cynthia.

"I said I'll get the necklace for you."

"But why would you do that? You could miss the final fight between Tobias and Greg. You don't have to do this for me." replied Cynthia surprised by Ash's statement. And even touched by it.

"No. I have to."

"What do you mean," asked Cynthia. Where was Ash going with this.

"If it weren't for you I wouldn't have made it that far against Tobias. I owe you for that pep talk." replied Ash simply.

"Paul was there too," argued Cynthia. She doesn't want to take credit for everything. Paul made his toll too.

"Because you woke him up," replied Ash. He was cornering her with these arguments. She doesn't want him to miss the final battle between Greg and Tobias because of one stupid necklace. Because of her.

"I- I- I yelled at you." said Cynthia back. She was running out of stuff to say.

"Heh. I needed that yell to be honest. And even then I didn't really mind. You were as beautiful as ever when you yelled at me. No harm done there." stated Ash without realizing what he just said.

"I- wait- beautiful?" asked Cynthia as she realized what Ash just said. Did he really thought that. Sure she was constantly referred as the beautiful champion. But Ash saying it to her right now made her feel all happy and giddy inside. And red on the outside.

"Whhhaaaaaat. I didn't say that," replied Ash quickly. _"What the hell are you doing Ash!"_ thought the black-haired Pokemon trainer as he cursed his slip of a tongue.

"Oh... Okay." Cynthia went from happy to sad again. What was going on with her. _"Why does it matter to me anyway?"_

"Cynthia I didn't mean that... no, I mean. I meant that... no no..." Ash was now starting to feel like a complete idiot. Sigh. Just do it. It's nothing to be embarrassed about, so why is it so embarrassed to say?

"You are beautiful. Actually no. That's not the right word. You are extremely gorgeous. I would have never thought that I'll see an angel in a black coat, but here she is, right if front of my eyes. I didn't want to say it out loud but it's true." said Ash with all the courage he could find. Why was it so hard to say anyway? Maybe he is ill... He should visit a doctor.

Ash then resumed their conversation where they left it off. "But we are getting sidetracked. I needed that yell from you. And I don't care about the match between Greg and Tobias as long as I can do something for you."

Cynthia's face got all red now. Her clothes suddenly became warmer and warmer. The heart got wild and began beating at an unhealthy fast rate. The whole world became somewhat different in a beautiful way. And if her clothes get any warmer, she will shot out of that coat.

OK, Ash. You win. At least this banter will end before it gets even weirder.

"I... th-thank you. For e-everything." said stuttering like never before.

"Great! So call Steven and say him to expect me. I'm gonna pick my Pokemon and flew there over the sea with Charizard. I should be there in a few hours." said Ash happily, being glad he can help Cynthia just like she helped him that night, and dozen other times when he went against Team Galactic.

"Wait. At... At least borrow my helicopter. My pilot Lucas will take you there." said Cynthia nervously. She still tried to compose herself from the words that Ash threw at her. And somehow, she still did't manage to compose herself like she otherwise could.

"YOU HAVE A PRIVATE HELICOPTER?!" Ash questioned Cynthia in disbelief.

"Yes. Being a Champion has its perks." said chuckling Cynthia.

"Sure, why not. It has been some time since I flew in one. Thanks." said Ash, eager to fly in a helicopter again.

"No. I thank you, Ash. Thank you so much. It means a lot to me," said Cynthia in sweetest tone possible to Ash, expressing how much she appreciate this gesture.

"Anytime." said Ash and went to the field recalling his Pokemon. He then said the others what was going on and that he will be gone for a while. Well. Now that this is out of the way. Let's get Cynthia that necklace.

* * *

Delia was on the garden, finishing watering her tulip flower field with Mimey. It was beautiful evening right now. Ash's match ended a day ago. She was happy. Delia could see it on the TV that her baby boy didn't need her to check on him immediately as she thought he would need in the end. So right now she was waiting for his call to let her know when he'll come back home. "OK, Mimey that would be it for today. Let's go back inside and make something for a dinner." annoucned Delia. Mimey nodded happily and they made their way back home.

About a 2 hours later a car stopped in front of Ketchum's household. Sun was already over the horizon and if it weren't for the street lamp and a lights from a car, it would be pitch black. Inside the car were two people. As they stopped in front of the household, they waited for a little bit before they unbuckled themselves and looked at each other. Driver nodded to his co-driver. After the nod, they played a game of rock paper scissors. Paper packs stone. The driver lost and sighed. The winner wasn't celebrating or anything in that manner. The co-driver put the hand on the driver's shoulder and nodded slowly. They got out of the car and made their way to the door. They both stopped for a minute before ringing on the bell. Delia opened the door and greeted the guests.

"Ou. Hello. What can I do for you?" Delia asked politely

Now that the light illuminated the two people, they were easily recognizable. Both women took their blue caps from their head and placed them close to their chests. Then one of the turquoise-haired women spoke.

"Are you Delia Ketchum?"

Delia nodded.

"I am terribly sorry to have to tell you this news. But. Your son. Ash Ketchum. He died in a helicopter crash."

* * *

 **Author's note: Sooooo. Yeah. He "died". Details will come later about the helicopter crash. Anyway. Even though I supposedly "killed" him, I hope you enjoyed the chapter. Next chapter will be mostly about one legendary Pokemon.**

 **That's it for now.**

 **Reviews are appreciated.**


	5. Setting the stage: My purpose

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Pokemon or any of these characters.**

 **Author's note: Another chapter is here. A little shorter than the previous ones. But hope you'll like it nothenless.**

„classic conversation"

 _„thoughts/telepathy"_

 **That is all for now. Enjoy.**

* * *

 **I. Setting the stage: My purpose**

It was a sunny day in Sinnoh region. Lily of the Valley conference was in full swing and people loved it. The conference was breaking nearly every record there was this year. And to top it all of people were enjoying these rare sunny days on the beach, in parks or swimming in lakes. People and Pokemon in Sinnoh had a great time overall. However, there was one place in Sinnoh where the cold blizzards raged on everyday. Twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. This place was the top half of Mt. Coronet. Biggest mountain known to man. These conditions, and the incident with Team Galactic caused a total lack of life in there. And that goes both ways, for Pokemon and humans. No one was the fan of that place. But one Pokemon found this place and made it his home. That's if you consider small cave with a boulder as a door home. And a pitch black environment. It was no ordinary Pokemon either. No. This guy had to normal as far as one could go. And right now he was questioning his life again.

 _„What's my purpose?"_ thought the Pokemon. It was one question that bothered him from the moment he saw the light of day. He is in meditative state, trying to come up with an answer. But he had no luck with that. It was getting exhausting to always think about that. Suddenly he felt another presence in his cave. He quickly jumped up and threw an unusual Shadow Ball in the direction he felt someone. But it was dodged. Our brooding Pokemon then calmed down when he found out who was it.

 _„Hey! Why did you do that! You nearly hit me!"_ said a small Pokemon floating in the air. The voice being full of life and little bit childish.

 _„Nearly. What do you want?"_ asked our brooding Pokemon who was much bigger than the smaller one.

 _„You live here?"_ asked small Pokemon curiously.

 _„I asked. What do you want?"_ asked bigger Pokemon. A little more forcefully now.

 _„It's so lifeless here. How could you play in such a place. There is no one here! And no toys either!"_ asked the small Pokemon yet again. Not caring about anything that bigger counterpart of hers asked.

 _„What do you want?!"_ said the bigger one. He was angry now. These games of hers. Really irritating.

 _„Okay, Okay. Just calm down brother."_ said the small one.

 _„Speak."_ said bigger one forcefully yet again.

 _„I was told by my papa to bring you to him. He wants to talk with you."_

 _„Not interested."_ replied the bigger one.

 _„Hihi. Papa said you would say that"_ giggled smaller Pokemon.

 _„..."_ bigger Pokemon didn't even bother to answer.

 _„He also told me to tell you that he'll answer your question you give yourself for so long."_ said a small Pokemon.

 _„... Who is your 'papa'?"_ asked bigger Pokemon slightly surprised.

 _„They call him Arceus."_ answered a small Pokemon.

 _„Don't know him. And how does he know what I am thinking about."_ asked the bigger Pokemon. It really bothered him. No one should know his thoughts.

 _„That's hard to explain. It'll be better if I teleport us to where he is?"_ answered a small Pokemon.

 _„I didn't say I want to meet him."_ answered the big one.

 _„But you will don't you?"_ asked curious small Pokemon. To be honest, this Pokemon is curious about anything that moves. In fact, it doesn't even have to move.

 _„No."_ replied bigger one sharply.

 _„Why?"_ asked the small Pokemon with a pout.

 _„I don't want to talk to anybody. That includes you and your 'papa' too."_ answered bigger Pokemon.

 _„You are such a meanie."_

 _„..."_ again. Bigger Pokemon doesn't even bother to reply.

 _„Just. Give him a chance. He wants your help to purge the world from evil."_ said the small Pokemon giving the bigger one another piece of information.

 _„...Why me?"_ asked the bigger one.

 _„I don't know. But if you ask him I am sure that he'll answer you. Please."_ pleaded the smaller Pokemon.

 _„You won't leave until I do. Will you?"_ asked the bigger one irritated by the annoying Pokemon.

 _„Yep!"_

 _„... Let's get this over with quickly."_ sighed the bigger one.

 _„Yay!"_

* * *

There exist a place in the Pokemon world where all laws of physics don't apply. Where time and space is an irrelevant thing. In this place, one creature made his home. His throne room. It looked like it was on a big rock floating in outer space, surrounded by a cream white slopes. In the middle of the circle of these slopes was lying the most powerful Pokemon in existence. Most people think he is a myth. A legend. But he isn't. And right now the most powerful Pokemon was bothered by one of his children.

 _„Papa? Are they coming yet?"_ asked an innocent child like voice coming from a small green Pokemon.

 _„Celebi, I said to you that they will be here in a moment. You just have to be patient." a_ nswered Arceus in his majestic tone who was lying there with Celebi floating around and poking the God Pokemon.

 _„But I want to play with someone. And Mew is the only one of my brothers or sisters that is willing to play with me. Why did you send her away anyway?"_ asked Celebi her father.

 _„Others wouldn't convince him to come here. She's the only one who met him. And your sister is very persistent. That's why. Now sit down and stop poking me."_ answered and commanded Arceus.

 _„Hmmm... No."_ said Celebi and was flying around poking Arceus left and right. How such a small creature could be so annoying is beyond him. But it is his little stubborn son so he'll have to endure it. After some time of poking Arceus around and waiting, their guest has finally arrived.

 _„We are here father!"_ stated the small pink cat-like Pokemon floating around his father announcing the arrival of her and her guest. They appeared right in front of Arceus through teleportation.

 _„Great work Mew. Now you and Celebi can go play with each other. I'm going take it from here. You two are dismissed."_ stated Arceus. Even being a God Pokemon can't spare him from children's wrath. Finally, he could send those two away and discuss serious matters with Mew's guest.

 _„Finally. Let's go play hide and seek Mew. You ready?"_ asked Celebi.

 _„Yay. Let's go. But I'm hiding first."_ said Mew _._

 _„...Fine."_ said Celebi. And with this statement, they left this realm through teleportation. Leaving their father and Mew's guest there all alone.

 _„Glad you came here. My name is Arceus. I am the creator of universe and all things and Pokemon."_ said Arceus as he got up and made his way to the guest Pokemon.

 _„..."_ nothing was heard as an answer. So Arceus continued.

 _„Don't you have anything to say?"_ asked Arceus.

 _„You are not my creator."_ replied the tall cat-like Pokemon.

 _„Ah. Yes. That I'm not."_ replied Arceus.

 _„So what do you want from me?"_ asked the guest.

 _„It's more like what do you want."_ answered the god Pokemon.

 _„How do you know what I think?"_ questioned cat-like Pokemon irritated a little. He doesn't like the fact that Arceus knows everything about him.

 _„I have this sort of power. But that is not important. I want you and my Chosen one to purge this world from evil."_ stated Arceus in his natural majestic voice.

 _„Why me?"_ asked the cat-like Pokemon.

 _„Because that is your purpose."_ answered Arceus.

 _„And why's that?"_ asked the bipedal Pokemon.

 _„Because you were created by humans, Mewtwo."_ stated Arceus.

 _„That makes no sense."_ stated Mewtwo. And it really didn't to him.

 _„OK let me explain. I created all of the legendary Pokemon to protect everything. Land, water, weather, air and much more. Every single one of them has a purpose to protect some aspect of life."_ said Arceus before being interrupted by Mewtwo.

 _„I heard that there is more than one legendary Pokemon of some species. Why's that?"_ asked a curious Mewtwo.

 _„When a legendary Pokemon is caught by a trainer, he can't do his bidding anymore. So I am forced to create a new one. More powerful. So no one can catch it. That's why there are more of them then one from some species. And that's why I can't send any of them to help my Chosen One. They have their own responsibilities to do. You were created by humans. You have no purpose yet. That's why I need specifically you to help him. You have no responsibilities so you and your powers would help him tremendously. It is a very hard task to accomplish and he'll need your help Mewtwo"_ stated Arceus.

 _„OK. What exactly do you want from the Chosen One and me then?"_ asked Mewtwo. If this would give him a purpose. Then why not and try to do it.

 _„Destroy the organization that calls themselves Team Rocket."_ stated the llama god.

 _„I wiped their memories on Mount Quenna when they wanted to capture me. I think they won't be a problem anymore."_ replied Mewtwo. He remembered that day. He was nearly dead when Ash showed up and saved him. Thanks to him, he released his clone Pokemon into the wild and Mewtwo himself went away as he wiped memories of Team Rocket that day and getting rid of them.

 _„Yes you did. But. They had their files in their bases about this mission. So when they got back, they knew that it didn't went well. And right now. They are back at it. Capturing Pokemon and humans alike to take over the Kanto region. So they need to be dealt with as soon as possible."_ stated Arceus.

 _„Why don't you do it. You are a God from what I can tell. It would be much easier."_ asked Mewtwo. No that he thought about it, he should know that wiping memories wouldn't do the trick. Also. Why Arceus can't just come there and stomp Team Rocket?

 _„I can't intercept with the world anymore. I can only watch and create Pokemon. That's why I called you here. You can help my Chosen one to complete this quest."_ stated Arceus.

 _„Who is this Chosen one then?"_ asked Mewtwo. Curious about his supposed co-worker.

 _„A human. His na..."_ said Arceus but not before being interrupted by Mewtwo.

 _„Then no."_ stated Mewtwo in definitive voice.

 _„Why?"_ asked Arceus.

 _„I don't trust humans much."_ stated Mewtwo. He is on a good page with them, but that doesn't mean he trusts them.

 _„I'm sure you will with this one."_ said Arceus. He was completely unfazed by this conversation.

 _„Doubt it."_

 _„His name is Ash Ketchum."_ said Arceus.

 _„..."_ Mewtwo had nothing to say to this. Ash Ketchum was probably only person he trusts. After sacrificing himself the first time and saving him the second time they met, it's hard not to like the boy.

 _„Nice boy. Wouldn't you agree?"_ asked Arceus.

 _„Yes."_ said Mewtwo back.

 _„Would you be willing to do this by Ash's side?"_ asked Arceus.

 _„... Yes."_ said Mewtwo after a little pause. He can't let Ash do this alone. Mewtwo owns him his life. This is the least he could do to repay his actions.

 _„Good. Then go and kill him first."_ stated Arceus.

 _„WHAT!"_ shouted Mewtwo back.

 _„He needs to be presumed dead to pull this of. At least for a 3 years. As soon as Team Rocket would find out someone is trying to destroy them, they would put all their resources to found out who it is. And they would find out eventually. They would stop at nothing to make him suffer and forced Ash to come out in the end. His mother, friends and Pokemon would be in an extreme danger. This way they will not know who is attacking them hence no danger for them. During those 3 years, you will train him how to resist psychic attacks and another Pokemon will train him in the ways of aura. Speaking of this Pokemon. You will find him in Lucario Kingdom in Sinnoh region. It's a Riolu who can use Aura Sphere. Find him and let him join Ash's crew. With Riolu's help, it should give you enough time to make Ash an incredible fighter who is able to take down Team Rocket with his other Pokemon help. And he'll need to capture some more. And to train them too. Also. He awakened his Aura abilities not so long ago and his body should begin to change into a slightly different look. By those 3 years, nobody should recognize him. With a new look and presumed dead he should keep his closest away from danger. After those 3 years of preprations, you should make some plan how to take Team Rocket down for good."_ stated Arceus.

 _„You have put a lot of thoughts into this."_ said Mewtwo. So that's what he wants. Well Mewtwo got no problem with that. But Ash. That's another question. And the plan was very well thought. But could they really pull it of?

 _„I did. I don't want him to suffer anymore. He did an incredible things for this world. He deserves a normal happy life. But. Unfortunately Team Rocket would destroy this world if we didn't do something. Just keep him safe and under any circumstances don't let him contact outside world as Ash Ketchum. Keep him away from his mother and friends. If Team Rocket would sniff something like this, I don't want to imagine what would they do to them."_ stated Arceus with some emotions in his voice now.

 _„I got it. But where should we be? We need some private place to stay and plan this."_ said Mewtwo. He understands now where Arceus is coming from.

 _„You could use a roommate in your cave. It'll do."_ stated Arceus in attempt to lighten up the mood.

 _„I don't think Ash will be exactly thrilled about living in a cave for 3 years. With being presumed dead."_ said Mewtwo back.

 _„Just say to him what I said to you and he should be fine. If someone can endure this, it's Ash Ketchum."_ stated Arceus.

 _„What about food, water, medicines and all the other stuff we need to survive. There is none of that in my cave at Mount Coronet."_ stated Mewtwo. Even though he survived there for so long his methods weren't exactly... legal.

 _„You survived there. You'll come up with something. I think you should go now. He is in the helicopter and is heading back to the Lily of the Valley island. This could be a perfect time to_ ' _kill_ ' _him."_ stated Arceus.

 _„... OK."_ said Mewtwo back after a slight pause. Looks like he is going back to stealing. And kill a 13-year old kid. He could be a professional criminal with this kind of criminal record.

 _„I will teleport you out of here to the place where helicopter is right now. I wish you good luck on your journey. If I'll need anything or I'll want to talk to you about something, I'll send Mew."_ said Arceus.

 _„...OK. Goodbye Arceus."_ said Mewtwo back. No time to waste. Let's get down to business and fulfill Mewtwo's purpose.

 _„Goodbye Mewtwo. And good luck"_ stated Arceus to Mewtwo as he teleported him outside of the Hall of Origin.

* * *

 **Author's note: Mewtwo's back. I always loved this Pokemon. So next chapters will be about accommodating in his new home. Catching few new Pokemon. Nothing spectacular. He'll get 15 Pokemon max. And Aura training with Riolu who'll become a very important Pokemon to Ash. But next chapter will be about Ash's friends dealing with the fact that he's dead. Then Ash's mission will begin.**

 **Reviews are appreciated.**


	6. Setting the stage: Grief

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Pokemon or any of these characters.**

 **Author's note: OK. So I got a message from someone called Andrew that pointed some mistakes and I would like to address them. Firstly the Future Sight. I know it isn't like that in games, (Probably. To tell you the truth I played one official Pokemon. SoulSilver it was? Maybe? Don't know for certain. And it was a long time ago. So I don't know.) but I based it on Olympia's Meowstick's Future Sight in the anime. Not on games. Secondly, there's the age shenanigans. I tried to find a part where Brock said that he knew Ash for 4 years, but I didn't. The only thing he said he saw Ash compete in 4 leagues already. So if you'll find the part with years, write me, tell me where it is and I'll change it ASAP. Other then that. Thanks for the review.**

 **And this chapter is going to revolve around Ash's death and how the world is taking it. So there won't be much humor. Next chapters will be with Ash again. So humorous parts will come back.**

„classic conversation"

 _„thoughts"_

 **That is all for now. Enjoy.**

* * *

 **II. Setting the stage: Grief**

Two weeks. That's how long it has been since the Helicopter crash that killed one of the most beloved trainers. It was unexpected. All of it. First, this boy became a walking legend as he took down 4 legendary Pokemon in one match. Everybody loved him. A newspaper articles were preparing their headlines with words **„Boy who changed Pokemon battles"** , **„Legendary beater"** and many more. But not even a day after his win, the newspapers were having another matter to deal with, his death. This all happened in a span of 24 hours. So Ash Ketchum, Pride of the Pallet Town was in basically every page of the newspapers, news, TV, radio and everything you could think of. After all of this happened, Tobias's and Greg's match began with a minute of silence before Tobias decimated Greg with his Darkrai earning the Lily of the Valley trophy. And right now the whole bunch of people were heading to the Indigo Plateau in Kanto region to pay respect to Ash Ketchum. The Pokemon League decided to honor the fallen trainer because of how much he helped the league in the past and because of his feats in the last Pokemon League conference.

One of those people who was headed in a plane into the Indigo Plateau was Sinnoh Champion herself, Cynthia Shirona. Cynthia was absolutely devasted by the news. She was at the airport monitoring the situation with the professionals when it happened. When the unthinkable happened. Out of nowhere, a radar caught, a gigantic storm heading towards the helicopter. Next thing she remembers was a mayday call from her pilot and that they are going to jump with parachute's into the water.

Search party was sent immediately, but only the pilot was found. He told them that a lighting bolt stroke helicopters engine and that he and Ash got the parachute's and were ready to jump. Lucas jumped first. But Ash didn't jumped out. Then an explosion happened. Ash was still there when the explosion happened, with no chance of survival.

Those whole 2 weeks she hadn't sleep, eat or even drink properly. Her grandmother, professor Carolina, was so worried, that she stopped her research and went to Lily of the Valley when she heard from Charles, how Cynthia is. And indeed, she wasn't herself at all.

The reason? It was because of the guilt she was feeling. Guilt that it was her fault. If she would just shut up about that necklace, than none of this would have happened. Ash would still be here. But no, she just had to let him go, because she wanted to research some stupid tusk. Her mood was all over the place. One minute she feels like she would cry all the water in her body out and the other she would destroy everything in her path out of anger. Shame that she can't destroy anything on a plane. The Indigo ceremonial will be very painful to watch for her. But she has to watch. She doesn't want to, but something in her pushed her to the funeral.

There was only one person who was in a worse state than Cynthia.

Delia Ketchum. When those two officer Jenny's showed at her door and told her the horrifying news she froze for a few moments. And after few minutes tears started rolling down her cheeks as she replied simple and weak „no." to the officers. „No, no, no, NO!" were Delia's next frantic words. She sat on a couch crying. Jenny's went to her and tried to soothe her but it was for nothing. And after such news, they weren't surprised it did not work. Jenny's left in the morning, sad that they couldn't do anything to help the poor woman.

Ash was the only one Delia had left. Her husband died several years ago. Delia remembers when she met him at Professor Oak's lab when she was just eight. They were inseparable from that day and they eventually became a couple. And 10 years later Ash was born. Richard was a great man and father. Honorable. Brave. Friendly. A natural born Pokemon Ranger. But when Ash was 5 he had to move to their new Pokemon Ranger HQ in Johto region, to do the missions. He tried to call them when he had time. But he didn't got much of that. He died when someone shot him in the head on a dangerous mission. Delia was devasted by the news. But she still tried to stay strong for Ash. And she eventually dealt with his death. But never forgot him. Richard Ketchum, written on a little tombstone in her backyards reminds her of the great times they had.

But this? Her baby boy? That's too much for her. He was the last thing that remained her from Richard. He was the exact replica of him. Not just in looks but in personality too. If she didn't give birth to Ash, she would doubt that she was his mother. And he's gone now too. She's all alone now. A widow, with her husband and son dead.

Two weeks went by and it was time for Ash's ceremony in Indigo Plateau. She won't even go there. She would be crying all over them again. And she cried too many times already during these few days. Ash's body won't there to say last goodbye. So why would she go there? She will make her own small tombstone in a backyard just like she did with Richard. That'll do for her.

But as she was sitting in a living room, thinking about everything what had transpired over those 2 weeks, a doorbell rang. She slowly got up and opened the door.

„Delia, you ready?" asked Oak in a sad tone. It was rare to see Oak in anything else than a lab coat. But this day was one of those days. He wore a common black tuxedo, black shirt underneath and a black bowtie.

„As I said earlier, I am not going, Samuel. Sorry." answered Delia sadly.

„Delia... Please. He still is for your son. You should be there." said professor Oak. Poor woman.

„I can't... It's too much... I cried a lot these past two weeks. I don't need to go there and do it all over again. In front of so many people. I'll do him a small tombstone next to Richard's and that will be it." said Delia in a shaky voice as she was on verge of tears again.

„Delia, do you think that Ash would approve this? Or Richard? This ceremony is for all of us to relieve our grief and remember what a great boy Ash was. Both of them would want you to be there. And we want you there too." said sadly the professor, pleading Delia to go.

„Samuel... please... I... I can't.." said Delia in a shaky voice as tears started rolling down her cheeks.

„Charles Goodsnow. President of the Pokemon League has something big to honor him according to a letter he sent me. Out of all the people that will be there. As his mother, you have to see this. Just this one time Delia. I, Gary, Tracey, and Daisy will be there with you whole time." pleaded once again professor Oak.

„Samuel. Why? Why him? He w-was kind, ca-caring, friendly. I-I wanted t-to see him be-became Pok-Pokemon Master as he w-was al-always sa-saying. Watch him grow, fi-find a sw-sweet girlfriend. Start a fa-family and live a happy li-life. Why? Why is fate so cruel." said Delia in a defeated tone as she broke down yet again and started crying.

„I don't know Delia. I don't know." answered professor Oak as he hugged Delia and let the devasted mother grief. Oak himself was on a verge of tears. The kid was hard not to love. He had that warm aura around him that pulled people closer. Although he griefs his death, he is staying strong for Delia. Delia is in much worse state and she needs someone to help her with this, and since she is alone now, professor will be the one the shoulder Delia can cry on. After all, she always was kind of a daughter to him.

After about 5 minutes of crying Delia finally let go of the professor. Professor then began speaking again.

„Delia. I can't even imagine how hard this is for you. But you need to go there. For Ash. Give him last goodbye. He deserves that." said professor in a sad tone trying to convince Delia. He would not leave until Delia would come with him.

She knows professor is right, but it is so hard to go there. To cry all over again. Then again, Richard would never forgive her for missing Ash's funeral.

„Fine... I'll come. But I'm leaving the ceremony as soon as it's over. Not a second later." said Delia sadly.

„That's all I ask for."

* * *

Indigo Plateau was slowly filling with black-dressed people. Soon the stadium with capacity 100 000 people was filled till the last seat. There were few seats in the VIP stands that were nearly filled too. Seven rows with 5 seats. Every regional Elite Four with their champion was seated there. One seat was empty since Lance is a champion of Kanto and Johto simultaneously. This seat was reserved for May's younger brother Max since there was not a single seat free in the VIP box. The other 10 seats were for Ash's closest's friends. Misty, May, Dawn, Brock, and Paul in one row. And the other was for Professor Oak, Tracey, Gary Oak, Daisy Oak and Delia Ketchum. Champions and Elites were in their seats already. Only Cynthia and Ash's closest were missing. Nearly everyone in the VIP seats had a special relation to Ash and all of the famous Pokemon trainers wore black clothes.

Brock, May, Max, Misty, Dawn, and Paul showed up and sat in their places. Quiet. No words were said. All of them were unusually quiet since that fateful day. Their talkative happy friend wasn't with them to lighten up a mood, so no one dared to talk.

Then Ash's Pallet Town friends and his mother came. They sat in their respective places and stared at the stadium, quietly, not uttering a word.

That left only Cynthia's seat empty. She was with her grandmother in the stadium already. But instead of going in, she stared at the filled stadium. She is scared to go there. Ash's mother will be there. And Cynthia was the reason why Ash was in that helicopter. Even when she is terrified, whatever beating she'll receive from her, she will accept it. Cynthia knows she earns whatever beating Ash's mother has for her. _„Selfish, stupid, stupid Cynthia!_ " thought Cynthia about what happened as she was getting ready to go into the stands, without her grandmother.

„You should go now. It'll start in a moment." said her grandmother

„I'll be here. Whatever will happen I will be here, waiting for you." said her grandmother, trying to soothe her a little bit.

„Thank you, grandma." said Cynthia back as she finally walked to the VIP stands.

As soon as she appeared nearly every single eye in the stands was eyeing her. Elite's and Champions were looking at her with sad looks. But what terrified her were the looks of Ash's friends. Well, those she knew nothing about. Brock, Dawn, and Paul looked at her sadly too. But the orange-haired girl and the bandana girl. Those were death glares. But the very first row didn't pay attention to her at all. They were looking at the stadium or they were looking at the brown-haired woman. She knew who that must be. She then just sat next to Flint and waited for this to be over. And soon, Charles Goodsnow went to the microphone in the middle of the stadium.

„I welcome you all in this stadium. I'm glad that so many people are here to pay respect to one of the most honorable, brave, happy boys that the league has seen. And as all of you know his name is Ash Ketchum. I'm sure you knew about him because of his feats in the latest Pokemon league. And I'm telling you that we aren't here because of that. I want to tell you that if it weren't for him the world as we know it would cease to exist. Is that a bold statement? Yes. But it's a true one. And to prove my point I invited a few people who saw Ash's heroic actions in front of their own eyes." stated Charles dressed in black. He wanted the whole new world to know what this kid accomplished in such a short life.

„Most of you will not believe any of it at first. Because they are trule incredible stories. One could consider them a fairy tales. But my very last guest should convince you that all you hear here is true. First, I would like you o meet Melody. Girl from Shamouti Island in the Orange Island archipelago." Charles then invited Melody to the stage.

When Melody heard what happened to Ash she was very sad. But when she heard that Charles Goodsnow was looking for people with incredible stories about Ash she quickly came to him offering her story about Lugia and the legendary bird trio.

Similiar thing happened with Sheena and Kevin. Those two were present when Arceus himself unleashed his wrath upon the human race. Sad about Ash sudden departure, they came to Charles Goodsnow too, to share their story about the Michina incident.

Another similar thing happened to a lovely couple of Tonio and Alice in Alamos Town. A story containing Darkrai trying to calm down Dialga and Palkia interested Charles too.

As these three stories were read one by one to the stadium Charles couldn't help but smile a little. The disbelief in crowds face was priceless. This is what world needs to know. Not the amazing battle that he performed in Sinnoh league. They need to know that they are alive because of the 13-year old boy with guts to never giving up till it's over. There was much more. But he just wanted to convince the audience, that they lost the savior of the world who saved this world numerous times. When Tonio was finished with their incredible story about Darkrai's fight against Palkia and Dialga with Ash and friends in the mix, Charles took the mic again.

„Thank you, Tonio and Alice that you stopped by and told us what Ash and his friends did for you. But now we have a very special guest waiting in the backstage. I would like all of the crowd to stand up as I invite her into the stage. Please welcome the Queen of Rota. Queen Illene!" said Charles as the whole crowd quietly stood up paying respect to the Queen.

Queen herself wore her classic pink queen dress but in a black color this time. And with a crown on top of her head, she made her way to Charles. She took the microphone. Then she spoke.

„I greet all the people that came here to pay respect to one of the bravest people that lived on this planet. As you are all aware now, Ash Ketchum saved us all numerous times. And I have one more story about his heroic acts to share. A year and a half ago Ash came to our Kingdom to participate in the tournament that was held there. The winner is awarded with a „Hero of the year" title. Ash won. We gave him the legendary staff of Sir Aaron and sat him on the throne for the rest of the night as this was a tradition of the tournament. But. Sir Aaron's staff suddenly reacted to Ash's presence and out of nowhere Lucario appeared. After this happened, we looked into the distance and saw that the Tree of beginning in the kingdom was withering. If that would happen our kingdom would be a wasteland. Ash with his friends" said, Queen, as she stopped for a moment to look at the VIP stand before continuing. „went into the Tree from their own will and saved the Tree and the kingdom. I don't know the details but Ash and Lucario used their aura and Lucario sacrificed himself as his previous master, Sir Aaron. To save the kingdom" said the queen as she finished her story. Queen had a very pleasent voice for ears, so everyone was hooked up on the story. But she then resumed talking.

„In our kingdom, it never happened, that the staff would react like this and released Lucario from it. This tournament was held there numerous times and it never happened. We found out that it happened because Ash and Sir Aaron had the same aura. And if you know anything about aura, you realize that having two same aura's is possible only if the two are related. Ash was the descendant of Sir Aaron. And we have think we know how it all happened. Queen Rin. Queen of Rota in the age of Sir Aaron wrote a letter saying that she fell in love and had an affair with Sir Aaron before the wedding. In our kingdom having an affair before the wedding is something unthinkable. Especially for the Queen. So Queen Rin kept her affair in secret. But when Sir Aaron sacrificed himself and ended the war, Queen Rin found out she was pregnant with his child. She then locked herself in her chambers allowing only 3 maids to visit her during the next months. When the Queen gave birth, she gave her newborn son to some family who couldn't have kids of their own in the nearby village. And I believe that this newborn was continuing the heritage of Sir Aaron unknowingly for thousands of years. Until it came to Ash Ketchum who used his aura to help Sir Aaron's Lucario in the Tree of beggining. He was natural Aura Guardian. Last of it's kind most likely." said the Queen to the audience.

Everybody was shocked yet again today to hear such an incredible story. But to state that Ash was descendant of Sir Aaron? That's whole different level. Outside kingdom of Rota Sir Aaron is a legend. A myth. But now Queen of Rota said that he was real. Not only that but that he left a son behind, that continued his legacy. And that somehow Ash was the latest piece of this family tree. It was unbelievable. But it was a Queen herself talking. From kingdom where honor and truth is a serious thing. They value honor and loyalty much more than jewels, gold or any kind of richness. With queen backing this up, it must be true. Queen than thanked them for attention, gave the microphone back to Charles and went back to the backstage.

„Now. You might think why I want everyone to know this. It's quite simple. Never forget who saved you. If it weren't for Ash, we wouldn't be here. There is a reason why Melody said that Ash, according to the prophecy, was the Chosen One. And I believe that he was one. The Chosen One to keep saving us without our realization or without excepting any sign of gratitude. He did all of this from his own will. Nearly died numerous times risking his life for this world. So if you didn't pay him attention then, then you should at least now. That includes me. And that's why I redesigned the place where Moltres's flame was lighting up this stadium during Pokemon league matches. From now on, the bowl containing Molter's flame will be holding none other than Ash Ketchum!" said Charles as the two men on top of the stadium near the bowl for Moltres's flame pulled down the blanket uncovering it.

It revealed the big marble statue of straightening up Ash Ketchum holding up the bowl. No special pose was needed. Just Ash with two hands in the air under the bowl, with Ash overlooking the stadium. And Pikachu on his shoulder. To remind everyone, that Ash wasn't the only one to lose his life in the crash. His Pokemon at his hand weren't spared from Ash's fate too. The whole stadium got on its feet and started clapping. When it ended Charles spoke again.

„From now on Ash Ketchum will be looking over the Indigo Plateau Conference. To remind us his battling spirit and love for Pokemon and Pokemon battles alike. This is all for today's ceremony. We established a place where you can honor the monument of Ash Ketchum. If you want you can light a candle, give there some flowers, or say a silent prayer for him. Thank you for being here. And I hope that whole world will realize, what it lost two weeks ago. Goodbye, and see you at the next conference." said, Charles, as he gave his goodbye and made his way back to the backstage.

* * *

In the stands, everyone listened to the stories with their trained ears. Everyone was surprised what Ash Ketchum did for the whole world. Even Brock didn't know about the incident with Lugia. But biggest shock received Delia. Her baby boy was not a baby. He was a man who saved the world numerous times. Her included. And he never bragged about it. He was probably worried that she would scold him. She would no doubt about that. But the fact that no one knew about all of his adventures was interesting to say at least. Loud-mouthed, but humble one. Exactly like his father. Delia was crying the whole time. She would definitely go, get the biggest bouquet of flowers, candles and go to the place where all the others are remembering him. She got up with her Pallet crew right beside them and went to the exit. But she was stopped by someone.

„Mrs. Ketchum..." said a soft weak voice of someone from behind her. She looked that way and saw the Sinnoh champion she had red puffy eyes just like her. Cynthia cried a lot during a ceremony too.

„Yes, lady Shirona." she said weakly.

„I... I want to apologize. This... all of this is my fault. I... I don't know what to do to make it right. But if you'll ever need anything. And really I mean anything. Money, company, place to stay or just punch me in the face. I'll be there." said Cynthia in a defeated tone.

„I WOULD LOVE TO PUNCH YOU IN THE FACE!" said the furious orange-haired girl from behind. You could see traces of tears on her face too.

„Misty. Calm down." said Brock to his fellow gym leader. He knew Misty is very hot-headed. But this is not the time.

„WHY SHOULD I? SHE SENT HIM TO THE GRAVE! AND I AM NOT GOING SIT AROUND LIKE NOTHING IS HAPPENING!" said furious Misty again. Nobody from our black dressed group was stopping her right now in her rant. Brock is trying but to no avail. May was just wishing to see that punch. Max and Dawn were sad what is happening right now. This isn't what Ash would have wanted. Paul, on the other hand, was thinking who she is anyway. They weren't introduced yet. But one thing is certain. He doesn't want to get on the bad end with this girl. Pallet gang was just watching this all. Delia included.

„Go for it. I deserve it anyway." said Cynthia calmly as she closed her eyes and was waiting for the impact. As strange as it sounds, she was eager to receive that punch.

Misty threw a punch in Cynthia's direction and was stopped by someone.

„That would be enough Misty." said Delia as she stopped the punch before it could reach Cynthia's face.

„BUT. But Mrs. Ketchum she is the reason Ash is dead" said slightly less angry Misty. She calmed down a little. After all. Delia is Ash's mother. So if she wants the first punch. Go for it, Delia.

„Nobody is punching anyone." said Delia with sadness in her voice.

„But why?" asked May. She really wished that someone would give her a powerful punch in the face.

„Because I said so. It's that simple." said Delia calmly.

„Cynthia. Come to my house after this, please. I would like to talk to you about something." said Delia. She then with Oak's and Tracey made their way out of the stadium to pay respect to Ash.

„Misty you can't just punch Cynthia like that. Are you insane? I get it. You are angry. But you just can't do that! Don't you see how red her eyes are?! Cynthia suffers from this too. Not only you. We ALL do!" yelled Brock angrily.

„And you May. Don't think that I haven't noticed that smug smile on your face when Misty nearly hit Cynthia. I can't believe you. I told you that Cynthia never wanted this too. And you still wanted her to be hurt just for your own pleasure. Cynthia, Paul, Dawn, and Max. Come with me. We'll give them time to cool of." said angry Brock to the gang as they made their way from the stadium. Max hesitated for a minute because of his sister, but he eventually joined Brock and the others.

„But Brock. I truly deserved it." said sad Cynthia as they were walking through the corridors.

„Why exactly? It was Ash who forced himself into it. You wouldn't stop him even if you would want to. That's who Ash was. Giving others needs before his own. So stop with this Cynthia and let's pay respect to our fallen friend." said angry Brock. He himself was holding his emotions back. He would gladly cry for his friend, but right now, in this madness, there has to be at least one sane individual to keep it together.

After that, the gang went to the memorial for Ash in front of the Indigo Plateau. It was in the grass field few meters from the road. There was a tombstone with pokeball made from the rock on top of the tombstone. There it is. „Ash Ketchum" written on the tombstone and right under it. „Never forget who saved you." They put the flowers down, lit a candle and prayed for a minute silently. There was already a large number of flowers and candles. But one bouquet of flowers was just enormous. As they paid their respect to Ash they all went to the Pokemon center to sleep for the night. Max met his sister and Misty there. Misty was upset and didn't bother to apologize. May, on the other hand, apologized for how she behaved. But they they weren't the ones she should ask for forgivness. Cynthia was. And she wasn't with them at the Pokemon Center.

* * *

Cynthia went to her grandmother after she visited Ash's grave in the Plateau.

„Are you sure you want to go right now? I'll be approximately 9 pm when you get there." asked her grandmother. Why now. Can't she wait until morning? She could just visit Mrs. Ketchum in the morning to whatever she wanted with Cynthia.

„Yes. She wanted me to stop by as soon as possible." said Cynthia. Whatever Delia needed. She'll do it. She turned around and walked to the field and released her Garchomp.

 _„Cynthia..."_ thought as Caroline's granddaughter sat on her Garchomp and flew to the direction of Pallet Town.

In a few minutes, Cynthia was in front of Ketchum's household in Pallet Town. It was a pretty small house compared to her's and grandmothers. But it makes sense. Ash's mother doesn't work and only two of them lived there. Now. Only one.

„Thank you Garchomp. Return." said Cynthia hopped of and recalled Garchomp. She was so damn nervous. What could she want? It's scary. She heard from the others how mothers could act when there is something going on with their child. And it was terrifying. With this in mind she rang the bell and hoped.

„Lady Shirona. Welcome. Come in." said Delia. But her usual happy attitude was gone. She lead Cynthia her to the kitchen.

„Thank you, Mrs. Ketchum." said Cynthia back. This will be awkward.

„You drink tea or something miss Shirona?" asked Delia politely.

„Y...Yes. Thank you Mrs. Ketchum." answered Cynthia nervously.

Then uncomfortable silence followed. Delia was just making her tea and Cynthia was just sitting in the kitchen awkwardly. When the tea was finally done, both females sat opposite of each other. Then Delia spoke.

„How did you meet him?" asked Delia in the neutral voice as she took a sip from her cup.

„Huh... Is this really what you want to know Mrs. Ketchum." asked surprised Sinnoh Champion. This was unexpected.

„Yes. And call me Delia from now on." replied Delia in her neutral tone. It was so weird hearing Delia talk like this.

Fulfilling Delia's request she told her how they met. How they met at the Amity square. How she had a battle with Paul. How she saw the difference between those two. Like Ash was just a great person. The story took a while. She nearly drank all the tea from her cup. But she eventually finished.

„And that's it." said Cynthia as she told her everything she could remember.

However, Delia wasn't really interested how they met. Yes, it was an interesting story. But she wanted to know how this girl saw Ash. Brock told her to not give her a hard time, that she is devasted by this too. And that she was the reason why Ash made it that far in the battle against Tobias. Now she could see why. Cynthia truly liked her son. Just by the tone of which she was telling the story was telling her that she is indeed a good person. But there was something... not quite right as she would describe it.

„I think there was something more between you two. Were you his girlfriend?" asked Delia in her standard voice as she took another sip from the team.

„Pfrrrrr... (cough), (cough)...Whaaaaat. N... No. There wasn't a... anything like that between us." said Cynthia as she nearly choked on her last sip. What was that question? It caught her completely off guard. Stuttering. Blushing. Nervous. Those words described her as she was now questioned by Ash's mother.

„Hmmm... Not buying it" said Delia. There was definitely something. No girl from his previous travels was this nervous when she asked this question. Not even remotely close. And how she was telling the story how she met him was different too.

„I... I swear. We... We were just... friends." said Cynthia. Definitely uncomfortable conversation this is.

„Maybe but there was definitely something between you two. Am I right?" said Delia. From what could she gathered from Brock, Dawn and now from what she was telling him. More importantly how she was telling it. There was something. 100%.

„I... no th... may... maybe." said Cynthia. She wanted to deny it so badly. So so badly. But She realized that happy giddy feeling that she felt when he called her beautiful must've been something else. Might as well come clean with Delia. Delia knew it even before her. What a remarkable woman.

„OK. I won't torture you with this any longer. I just want to see who exactly are. You are sweet young girl lady Shirona. It wasn't your fault. And don't worry. You won't receive a punch from me. I'm not that kind of person. Just... if you could come here from time to time I would be happy. I don't know what I'll do here all alone." said Delia. Delia checked Cynthia and, besides being one of the strongest Pokemon trainers in the world, she was a just sweet innocent young lady who dumped all the guilt of Ash's death on herself. If she could come here from time to time it would be great too. Yes, she has professor Oak, Gary, Daisy and Tracey, but they don't have much time with all the Pokemons at the lab. Brock promised he'll come from time to time, but other than that. Noone. Not even Ash's calls. And Mimey is... Mimey.

„I wish I would see it that way too, Delia. But I can't help it. If I would let that tusk rot in a lab than Ash would've been here. But if you want me to come here I'll stop whenever I have time. That's a promise I intend to keep. And please call me Cynthia. I'm just a fifteen-year-old girl after all." said relieved Cynthia. Even though the guilt over Ash's death will always be there. At least she can help Ash's mother somehow.

„OK. Cynthia. Thank you and don't beat yourself over with it. Live a happy life. I'm sure Ash would want that."

„Ok.." said Cynthia. But she knew that getting over this isn't going to happen. Especially now that Delia brought her feelings up.

„Do you want to stay here? Or are you going to a Pokemon center for the night?" asked Delia. Letting the conversation about Ash die there. Delia got what she wanted.

„I'll go to a Pokemon Center to my grandmother. I'll stop by tomorrow if you want Delia. I'll stay here in Kanto for some time." said Cynthia. She has a lot of free time now that league is over. Until Tobias'll beat Elite Four, and he certainly will, she's got a vacation. So why not spend the vacation here.

„Thank you. I would appreciate it" said Delia. And with that, they wished each other good night.

Unknown to them, certain black-haired boy just awakened in a cave in the biggest mountain in the world.

* * *

 **Author's note: Here we have it. So the whole world now knows what kind of boy Ash Ketchum was. Man. Cynthia's going to beat the shit out of him when he comes back. So anyway. Next chapter will begin Ash's training and Ash's life in the cave.**


	7. Setting the stage: New life

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Pokemon or any of these characters.**

 **Author's note: Before I start, I would like to explain why I quote how I quote. In my country, we quote like "this". I know that English speaking countries quote like "this", but I don't know how to change quotation marks on my keyboard settings. I never even realized that English speakers quote differently than we do so I never really paid attention how I quote. So I hope it's not that big of the deal for you and that it isn't too distracting.**

 **Another thing I want to point out. Ash with his Aura won't be super mega giga OP. I'll list his abilities here for you: Sensing other's emotions (not mind reading just emotions), sensing other people around him, communicating with Pokemon, slight psychic resistance, he'll learn how to fight properly and use aura enhanced punches (nothing drastic, just to destroy a rock for example), Aura Shield and Aura Sphere's. His body will change but that won't affect his abilities. I don't think that's too much for him.**

 **I'm not a fan of stories where Ash just learns everything and destroy some criminal organization in one go. That's the reason I am writing this and I'll try to make it harder for him. Ash and his Pokemon won't be invincible in this regard. Especially against someone as strong as Team Rocket.**

 **Last thing. I took a little break from updating. At first, I uploaded daily. But it was mainly because I had the idea of this story in my head and I had to quickly put it somewhere. So I did. And I burned myself quickly. So I took a break, draw a little and watched the Olympics. But that's over now and I write again. It won't be daily again probably but it should not take so long as it did now.**

"classic conversation"

 _"thoughts/telepathy/Pokespeech"_

 **That is all for now. Enjoy.**

* * *

 **III. Setting the stage: New life**

 _"Mewtwo. Are you sure that he should wake up now? It doesn't look like it."_ said small yellow mouse in a cave lighten only by a candle next to Ash which Mewtwo 'borrowed'. Two weeks Ash was just lying there.

 _"Don't worry. He'll wake up in a moment."_ answered Mewtwo. Mewtwo teleported Ash to his cave from a helicopter seconds before it blew up with Ash's backpack and Pikachu. It was probably too much for Ash. Stress from the helicopter crash and the teleportation was too much for his mind to handle and he fell unconscious. Now Mewtwo could finally sense some activity in Ash's brain.

 _"He's not gonna be happy about any of this."_ said Pikachu to Mewtwo. He already knew why Mewtwo teleported them here. Pikachu was pissed at first, but Mewtwo then explained everything. Man. Such a troublesome trainer Ash is.

 _"I know. But he can endure it."_ replied Mewtwo. Ash finally begin to stir. And slowly but surely Ash opened his eyes seeing Pikachu and Mewtwo next to him.

 _"Hello, Ash. How are you doing."_ said Mewtwo through telepathy when he saw Ash's eyes open.

"W...water." said Ash to Mewtwo. He had so many questions when he saw Mewtwo in front of him. But they had to take a backseat. His throat was dry. No saliva in his mouth. Ash felt like he spent months in a dessert. He needs water quick. Meanwhile, Pikachu just jumped at Ash and nuzzled his cheeks to greet him back.

 _"Give me a moment."_ said Mewtwo through telepathy as he lifted Ash's bottle from Ash's backpack lying next to Ash's head. He opened it and slowly and poured the water into Ash's mouth through telekinesis.

That felt good. Sooooooo good. Feeling a cold water running through his dry neck and to his empty stomach. Finally, Ash emptied the whole 1 liter of water in a bottle and than he was finally able to sit up.

"How the hell am I alive." said Ash. Then he looked at Pikachu on his legs. "...are WE alive?" corrected Ash himself.

 _"I killed you and brought you here."_ said Mewtwo through telepathy.

"...come again?" asked Ash completely confused about what was going on.

 _"It all began when Mew came to me..."_ Mewtwo began telling Ash his story and how he "killed" him. After about ten minutes, Mewtwo's story was finally over.

"So I am officially dead?" asked Ash after Mewtwo finished his story. He wasn't surprised much. He went through much crazier shit. Time travel to save the current world from Arceus himself for example. But that Chosen One part was interesting.

 _"Yes."_ replied Mewtwo. To Mewtwo's surprise, Ash didn't interrupt his story a single time.

"And I was asked by Arceus to destroy Team Rocket?" asked Ash again. When he thought that he finally got rid of them, they just have to resurface again. It was getting exhausting to deal with criminal organizations all the time. Team Aqua, Magma, and Galactic. Give Ash a break for fuck's sake.

 _"Yes."_ answered Mewtwo. Mewtwo was curious. Ash didn't even question if he was saying the truth. He just went with it.

"And to train for next three years fighting, in Aura and in a psychic resistance?" asked Ash again. This sounded at least interesting. He could learn something. His fighting consists of punching. Most of the time it was just air when he struck a pose. Does that count as fighting? It has to. Right? Punch like a punch.

 _"Yes."_ answered Mewtwo. So far so good. No resistance, just asking what he must do.

"...Mom's going to kill me for this when I come back. How is she taking it?" asked Ash sadly.

 _"Not well. But Cynthia, Brock and your Pallet Town friends are keeping her company. She'll be fine to a certain extent."_ answered Mewtwo. He was monitoring Ash's friends to check that they didn't know of his survival. So what was going on Pallet Town wasn't mystery too him.

"Good to know..." replied Ash. He wasn't stupid. He knew that his mother would be devastated by the news. But what can he do? Arceus told him that he has to do this, otherwise the world as we know it will cease to exist. Not much of a choice. At least his mother has a company. And Cynthia was there too?! That was a little... unexpected. Welcomed. But unexpected.

"So. What now Mewtwo. You have some kind of plan for those years right?" asked Ash.

Whole time Pikachu was watching the exchange not daring to interrupt it. Ash took it very well. Better than Pikachu expected. When it was over Pikachu just jumped back on Ash's shoulder and nuzzled him. Ash after this scratched Pikachu's favorite place just below his ears. Everything seemed to be how it always was.

 _"No I don't."_ said Mewtwo. He was always so... emotionless. At least it looked like that.

"Great..." replied Ash. They have a 3-year-old mission ahead of them and they don't know how and where to start. Marvelous.

 _"But I would recommend going for that Riolu Arceus mentioned. That would be probably a good start. After that. I don't know."_ replied Mewtwo.

"Good idea. Speaking of Riolu. What about my other Pokemon at professor Oak's lab? How I'll get them back without them noticing?" said Ash. From what he heard, he'll need all of his Pokemon to take down Team Rocket. And getting them from Oak's lab will be difficult. When all of Ash's Pokemon would just disappear, it would raise some question's in a public. And they don't need that from what he heard from Mewtwo.

 _"I have this covered Ash."_ said Mewtwo.

* * *

 _Flashback_

 _Mewtwo just teleported in the professor Oak's lab to find out what the others thought about Ash's death. He hid in the attic of the lab and was ready to listen to their conversation. It was evening already when the Pallet Town group finally showed at the lab._

 _When Oak's and Tracey came back from the funeral they immediately went to do their duties. Tracey went to feed the other Pokemon, Daisy was examining a Weedle on a white table that just some Pallet Town trainer caught and professor Oak with his grandson were at his computer looking at some data. professor Oak had a small-sized lab. But it was equipped with science machines everywhere. All around the room were different machines that professor Oak was using for his research. All the equipment was placed on a blue tiled floor. As professor was examining some data on the computer, Gary got up and went to the window. After Ash's death, there were a lot of things to think about. As thoughts about Gary's rival were circulating through his head, he saw Tracey feeding a very sad Bulbasaur in the backyard of the lab. Ash's Bulbasaur._

 _"Poor Pokemon." said Gary to the professor and his sister in the room. Ash's Pokemon took the loss of their trainer very hard. Not a single one of Ash's Pokemon were acting like they usually did. Sadness over their trainer's death hit them hard too. He raised them, fed them, and made them who they are now. Bayleef particularly was in a terrible state._

 _"What are we going to do with them grandpa?" asked Daisy as a finished examination of Weedle. Daisy was a 19-year-old brown haired girl. Daisy was considered to be very pretty too. But she never really paid attention to that. Instead, she was usually dressed in her lab coat and worked with her grandfather. Daisy was always fascinated with Pokemon. The secrets of evolutions, attacks, Pokemon types and all of the great stuff about those magnificent creatures fascinated her. It was a world she was devoted too. But right now, seeing Ash's Pokemon like that. She didn't know how to help those poor creatures._

 _"I'll have to release them into the wild, unfortunately." replied professor. It was a standard procedure if the trainer of a Pokemon dies. As much as it pains professor to do it, Ash's Pokemon deserve a second chance to find a new trainer or have their own life._

 _"Do you really have to?" asked Gary. It was sad. Their trainer died, and they were supposed to find a new one. Or just live in the wild, find someone and have a family of their own. It was probably something unimaginably for Ash's Pokemon right now._

 _"I'm sorry Gary. But it is the right thing to do." said professor sadly._

 _"When are you going to release them?" asked Daisy. She knew this procedure. But it was still sad. Even though she didn't know Ash that much. He was, by all means, a great person. Everybody agreed on that._

 _"In three days. I'll tell them today." said professor_

 _Flashback end_

* * *

"So you're going to bring them here after professor will release them?" asked Ash. He is very happy about hose news. His friends would be with him those 3 long years. At least he won't be so lonely.

 _"Yes. But you need to expand this cave. I don't think you would be comfortable with all your Pokemon in such a small place."_ said Mewtwo. And it really wasn't a small place. Not for the 3 of them right now, but as soon as Ash would release all of his Pokemon, his 30 Tauros included, the cave would become very small.

"Yeah." answered Ash. "Thank you by the way." said Ash.

 _"For what? Killing you."_ asked Mewtwo. Why on Earth would Ash tanked him for any of this?

"Was that. A joke?" asked Ash back. It sounded like one. But you never know. Especially when Mewtwo is the one telling the jokes.

 _"No."_ said Mewtwo back. How could he think that it was a joke? Why would he thank him exactly? He just killed him and separate him from society.

"Man. I'll have to teach you to relax a little bit. Anyway I am thanking you for bringing my Pokemon back when the time comes." replied Ash. These 3 years will be very long with Mewtwo by his side.

 _"No problem."_ said Mewtwo.

* * *

"Infernape. Dig! One more time!" said Ash in a cave lit by a single candle in the middle. Ash immediately after his talk with Mewtwo released his Pokemon. He told them what was going on. Nobody was really touched by this news. They are used to crazy things. Except for one Pokemon. Charizard was angry. He was going to be a father, and now, he can't even see his cubs. He was so angry deep inside. _"Why now. Why the fuck NOW!"_ Charizard thought as he was firing Dragon Rage after Dragon Rage at the walls. At least he can let his frustration out thanks to the cave which Ash's Pokemon were expanding. Thanks to Infernape and his Dig attack they made a big progress in a few hours.

 _"Charizard?"_ asked a voice in Charizard's head. It was Ash. Again. Through that weird connection or whatever it was.

 _"Again?"_ asked Charizard in his mind. It was happening again.

 _"Yeah. I'm sorry that you have to live here with us for the next 3 years and miss your cubs growing up. But we have to do this."_ said Ash. He knew that he heard Charizard in his head again. So he came to him and spoke again through their weird connection that just turns on randomly.

 _"You think I don't know that we have to do this? It's that I have no choice in this matter but to stop them with you. That's the reason why I'm so pissed."_ replied angry orange lizard as he released another Dragon Rage into the rock wall.

"I'm sorry that I brought you into this. If I would just let you in Charicific Valley, you would be there with your family." apologized Ash. By now, an apology could be his second name.

 _"It's not your fault. Besides. If I would find out that you were saving the whole world's ass without me again, as I would be sitting on my butt doing nothing I would be pissed too. Fucking Team Rocket. Have to ruin everything."_ answered Charizard to his trainer as he was slowly calming himself.

 _"So you're saying that you are pissed because you have no choice but you would come with me anyway if you had one?"_ asked Ash Charizard. What Charizard said doesn't make sense.

 _"It's complicated Ash. Now could you please get out of my head?"_ said Charizard back.

 _"I wish I knew how to just turn this off. I don't even know if we are in your head."_ answered Ash to his Pokemon. In his battle against Tobias, he somehow turned the connection off. But how? He doesn't know.

 _"Why don't you ask smartass over there?"_ replied Charizard as he looked at a meditating Mewtwo. After their first encounter on that cursed island, he doesn't trust him very much. How could he? He turned his trainer into the stone.

 _"_ _I'll try."_ answered Ash in defeated tone.

Unfortunately for Ash, Mewtwo knew nothing about this. It was definitely mind reading or something similar to that. It has probably something to do with his aura. Speaking of aura. They could finally go and get him. Ash was pulling out his Pokedex from his jacket to find some information he had on this Riolu since he met him earlier. Ash was horrified when he pulled the Pokedex out.

"YOU KILLED HIM?" yelled Ash throughout the cave. He pulled Pokedex and showed him to Mewtwo. With this yell, Ash got the attention of everyone in the cave.

 _"What?"_ asked confused Mewtwo. What is he talking about? He didn't kill anybody. At least he thinks that.

"YOU KILLED HIM!" yelled Ash again. This time pointing at his broken Pokedex in his hand.

 _"Ash. It's just a device."_ said Mewtwo calmly. Ash scared him a little bit with that killing somebody statement.

"It was NOT just a device. He was my comrade for 3 years. And his name was Dexter!" replied angry Ash. Dexter was with him the whole journey. Advising him. Giving him info. Occasionally making fun of him. But now. He's no more.

 _"Dexter?"_ asked confused Mewtwo a little too quietly. Ash didn't hear it. But Pikachu did. And so the yellow rodent joined the conversation.

 _"It is what humans call artificial intelligence in his Pokedex. It is basically his guide. But it has its own personality. Kind of. I don't know how it exactly works."_ replied a Pikachu to Mewtwo in his pokespeach.

"Why did you do it?!" asked sad Ash. He was overreacting a little bit about this.

 _"That device was transmitting some kind of signal. I had to destroy it so no one can find us"_ replied Mewtwo.

"Dexter..." whispered Ash sadly.

 _"I never imagined that Ash would get so emotional for some device."_ said Mewtwo through his telepathy everyone in the cave except Ash.

 _"... Me neither."_ replied confused Pikachu.

* * *

"Tell me you at least bought this." said Ash. He, Pikachu and Mewtwo were heading to the Lucario kingdom. Mewtwo teleported them to the nearby forest and they were waiting for the sun to set down to find Riolu undetected. Both Mewtwo and Ash had a long dark green cloak that covered their entire bodies with hood. Both had a grey scarf around their mouth to finish the stealthy outfit. Pikachu went with them too. Of course. And he hid in the Ash's cloak on Ash's shoulder. Mewtwo brought the clothes to Ash before they were teleported here. And our black-haired hero was concerned about Mewtwo's methods of getting things.

 _"I'm a Pokemon. I don't have or use money Ash."_ replied Mewtwo trough telepathy. He 'borrowed' them from some clothes store he found near the Lucario Kingdom when he was scouting the area before they teleported here.

"... That reminds me. I don't have any money too. Since you KILLED Dexter." said Ash little angry. The money Pokemon trainers earn from battling in leagues and gym battles are electronic. And their Pokedex has all the money in them. And since he was without a pokedex that would identify him, he was without money. To top it all of he was living in a cave depending on a Pokemon to keep him alive. What a wonderful life he has.

 _"It had to be done."_ said Mewtwo as they were waiting for the sun to set.

They were ready to go for the Riolu but something stopped Ash. He didn't know what but something was again calling to him. It wasn't as clear as it was with his Charizard, but he knew that there was something. Somone calling to him. He said to Mewtwo and Pikachu that he wants to check it out. Nobody had any complaints. They had plenty of time to get Riolu this night.

Ash followed his gut instinct again and went the way he thought the callings were from. After making it through the trees and bushes in the forest, he found a small pond. The pond itself wasn't very clear. It had greenish water, branches laid everywhere in the water. Mud was all around the pond and it was all surrounded by trees and bushes. There was a Pokemon sitting in the mud and looking at the pond. As the sun was not over the horizon yet, Ash, Pikachu, and Mewtwo could make out that it was Gardevoir. Sitting there and probably thinking. Ash could feel from her that there was something wrong. She was sad. He could tell. He didn't know how but he could.

"Hi." said Ash in a friendly note.

Gardevoir jumped out stratled by the sudden human voice. Gardevoir looked at the man before her. He was covered from head to toe in a cloak. Even his eyes couldn't be seen, because of the shadow created by his hood. The other cloaked figure looked very similar. Suddenly out of the coat jumped Pikachu on person's shoulder and greeted her cheerfully.

 _"Hello."_ said the other person. But it wasn't a normal greeting like from the one person with Pikachu on his shoulder. It was through telepathy. Both of them took their hoods off and it revealed a boy and a Pokemon.

 _"H.. Hello What are you doing here?"_ she said in a little nervous girly voice through her own telepathy to the group.

 _"Ask this guy. I and Mewtwo over there don't have a clue."_ said Pikachu in his Pokespeach to Gardevoir as he pointed at Ash from his shoulder.

"Uhmmmm... I don't really know. Anyway. My name is Ash. And I believe that Pikachu already introduced himself and Mewtwo. Nice to meet you." said Ash. Even though that he doesn't understand Pikachu's Pokespeech, he always knew what kind of statement he was saying.

 _"I'm Gardevoir. Nice to meet you too."_ said Gardevoir with telepathy. Now that she can see them. They weren't looking like a dangerous group. They seemed rather friendly. Especially that Pikachu.

"So. What are you doing here? This isn't exactly a place for a Pokemon like you." asked Ash. This was the last place he would be looking for a Gardevoir.

 _"Can I ask you something?"_ asked Gardevoir ignoring the previous question asked by Ash. Gardevoir was thinking a lot lately. And this Ash seemed like he could answer the question. Gardevoir hoped that she would receive a different answer from him than she heard from the others. If not. Then she'll have to change her life a lot.

"Sure shoot." replied Ash as he revealed his face. He took down the hood. But the grey scarf was still around his face hiding his nose and mouth.

 _"You are a Pokemon trainer right?"_ asked Gardevoir. Ash seemed like one with two Pokmon by his side

"... Kind of." replied Ash. He technically isn't a trainer due to his Pokedex being destroyed. But still kinda is. Who would have thought that this question would be so hard to answer.

 _"What is your opinion on Pokemon who can't battle?"_ asked Gardevoir in a nervous tone.

"Well. If a Pokemon doesn't want to or can't battle then he/she doesn't have to battle. Simple as that. Right guys?" replied Ash. It was an easy question for him. And two Pokemon beside him agreed with him too.

 _"I don't mean that. I mean the one that really can not battle. Can't use attacks which deal damage to others."_ replied Gardevoir.

"Well. You can always learn those." answered Ash. That shouldn't be a problem for a Pokemon.

 _"What if I don't want to. What if I don't want to hurt others?"_ asked Gardevoir admitting that this conversation is about her. Since she saw a Pokemon die from fatal injuries in the wild as Ralts, she vowed to never hurt the others. Instead, she would help the others. Heal them. Saving them. Protecting them. Not hurting them.

"...I guess it is kind of silly. You have to protect yourself somehow. Don't you? You can't do that without attacking." replied Ash. It sounds good to not hurt the others. But you need to protect yourself somehow. It could end badly for the one who doesn't want to hurt the others.

 _"I can teleport myself away from dangerous situations, calm enraged Pokemon, create a psychic barrier if someone attacks me and heal myself if it'll come to that. I don't think that I need to hurt others in order to protect myself."_ replied Gardevoir. That's not bad moveset. Right? She just doesn't want to hurt the others. And they can't hurt her with these moves. At least that is what she thinks. But how does this Ash see it? Does he see it like the others? That she is useless? That she should learn some damaging attack?

"Hmm...If you put it like this. I don't see a problem with that." replied Ash. It seemed silly at first. But now that he knows what she can do. It's more amazing than silly. A Pokemon that doesn't want to hurt others and is able to protect herself like that. Sounds amazing.

 _"Really?"_ replied Gardevoir. It seems like that finally someone can see her point of view.

"Yeah. In my opinion at least. With the abilities you have, you don't need any Pokemon attacks. You are more than capable of taking care of yourself. It is amazing actually. Being able to end a conflict without hurting others is admirable." said Ash.

 _"You are the first Pokemon trainer to say it to me..."_ replied Gardevoir in a little disbelief that she found someone that can support her in her behaviour.

"You had a trainer before?" asked Ash.

 _"3 actually... none of them had me for long when they found out I can't attack. And that I don't want to attack the others."_ replied Gardevoir. And all 3 of them released her because of who she was. She was useless for them. She heard that all the time from them. It will be hard to find someone who would respect her for what she is.

"I'm sorry about that... And... Do you want a trainer?" asked Ash.

 _"I always wanted a trainer. To belong somewhere. To not be alone all the time. But no one wants me on their team."_ replied Gardevoir sadly. She wanted to fit somewhere. But because of her nature, she wasn't welcomed in trainer's teams.

"I would've loved to be your trainer." replied Ash.

 _"Huh? Why would you want ME?"_ replied confused Gardevoir.

"Pokemon trainer should try understand and help their Pokemon in whatever they want to pursue and not force them into something they don't want to. That's how I see it. If you don't want to hurt the others and you can protect yourself that's fine by me. I think that you are one unique, remarkable Pokemon. And with your healing ability you can help a lot. I think you would be valuable Pokemon to my family. I don't have a Pokemon who can heal the others. Or calm them down. Some of my Pokemon buddies can be a little hard to deal with sometimes. You could help me with them. So what do you say? Care to join me and my Pokemon family?" asked Ash. He was always up for a challenge. And Gardevoir is a Pokemon that is very different from his others. They are all fighters. She is not. It could challenge his abilities as a trainer.

 _"She could make matters much worse..."_ thought Pikachu to himself. Not that he didn't like Gardevoir. Quite the opposite. She looked very friendly and overall good Pokemon. But the fights that will start over her... Pikachu isn't one who would pursue female Pokemon very much. But even he himself could see just how lovely and gorgeous this Gardevoir is. And if he registered that. Oh boy. Ash's hot-headed Pokemon will destroy the cave in fights over her.

 _"You won't release me if I'll stay how I am?"_ asked Gardevoir surprised a little. If Ash would take her with him, that would have been her dream come true. Being herself and have a trainer.

"No. No i won't release you if you won't want me to. But there is one thing you should know before you make your decision." replied Ash. But since she wants to be his Pokemon, she should know what is she going to be dealing with.

Then Ash told Gardevoir everything about his plan and isolation and how he got there. Since Ash is in isolation, and he can't show himself much on the public, he needs someone to heal his Pokemon when they'll overdo their training or when the mission on Team Rocket will go downhill. And Gardevoir would be perfect for this. She even seems like a nice Pokemon who would get along with the others well. _"Please, say yes."_ Ash thought.

 _"As long as I won't have to do the fighting and only heal you and the others, I don't have a problem with this."_ replied Gardevoir happily. What he said was incredible. Being tasked with amission by Arceus himself and all that. But it didn't really matter. He wants to take her in even though that she won't be attacking anyone.

"Great!" yelled a little Ash.

There was a minute of silence before Gardevoir spoke through telepathy again

 _"Uhmmm... will you catch me then?"_ asked Gardevoir.

"Oh yeah. I don't have any pokeballs at my disposal right now. But we'll figure that out later OK?" replied Ash. That was a little problem. But he'll solve it when they'll be in a cave somehow.

 _"Ou.. OK"_ replied Gardevoir.

 _"I'll get some."_ said Mewtwo. He was quite the whole exchange. He wanted to see how Ash would deal with this situation. And he dealt with it like a boss in Mewtwo's eyes. This is how a trainer should be. Respecting the Pokemon and not forcing them into anything. He was truly one of a kind trainer.

"Do you really have to steal them again?" asked Ash. He really doesn't like the fact that he is a thief now.

 _"I don't have a choice. Besides. Professor Oak won't throw your Pokemon's pokeballs away so I'll have to get much more of those pokeballs for the others too."_ replied Mewtwo.

"... I hope Arceus is OK with this." said Ash. He doesn't want to piss off Arceus second time. One time was more than enough.

 _"We are saving a world. He'll have to let this slide for all of our sakes."_ replied Mewtwo

"I hope so. So to give you some insight what is going on right now, Gardevoir. All of us are going to pick up an old friend of mine to help me with the training I told you about. Then we'll go back to our cave and start the training. Is that OK with you?" asked Ash his newest member of the team.

 _"OK."_ replied Gardevoir. And all of them made their way out of the forest with happy Gardevoir as the new member of Ash's Pokemon family.

* * *

Slowly but surely Ash and his group made their way out of the forest in the night. The Lucario Kingdom itself wasn't spectacular. Few family houses here and there on the grass field which were connected by common dirt paths. Few lamps were lighting up the houses and paths in the Lucario Kingdom. Even though the houses were indistinguishable Ash knew in which one Riolu is. Their aura connection was still there. And Riolu sensed him too. Without a doubt. They made their way on top of a small hill with a slightly larger house than the others.

 _"So. How are we going to do this?"_ asked Pikachu in his pokespeach from Ash's cloak.

"I didn't think about that. Mewtwo? Any ideas?" asked Ash. He should make some plan. But. He kinda forgot.

 _"I just teleport us in. You'll take him and we'll be on our way back."_ said Mewtwo. Sometimes the easiest solution is the best solution.

But before Mewtwo could start anything the door opened. The door revealed Riolu standing there with a smile on his face.

 _"I'm ready to go."_ said Riolu through his aura connection to Ash.

"Riolu? How did you know? And what does Kellyn have to say about his? Wha... I have so many questions right now..." asked Ash all these questions dumbfounded. He knew that Riolu could sense him coming. But to know all of this? And come with him right away? That's just crazy!

 _"I already told Kellyn that someone is coming for me. And that I want to go with him. That I am destined to fight by this newcomer. He only gave me his best wishes and the pouch with my wooden carved statue. And our Aura connection can tell me what you want. So I prepared myself for my leave before you came here. I'll answer everything you want to know later."_ said the Emanation Pokemon. His goodbye to Kellyn was heartbreaking. Kellyn raised him from egg basically. Kellyn didn't even know who came for him and he didn't really care as long as Riolu is OK with that person. And Riolu said he knew him and that Riolu has an aura connection with this person. So there is nothing to be afraid of from this person. And Kellyn doesn't even want to meet the person who'll 'steal' Riolu from him. But it has to be done. They both knew that he can't live here forever. If Riolu wants to become Lucario and grow strong, he has to go with someone else. Kellyn loved him very much, but he always sheltered Riolu here. Riolu was never faced with anything except the time he was pursued by Hunter J. With this person, he'll face the real world. Where he can become strong. Stronger than any Lucario before him. Kellyn understood this. He sheltered him too much from the outside world. So he gave Riolu the pouch with Riolu's wooden statue to remember him by and wished him a safe journey. When that all happened they heard steps in front of Kellyn's house. Kellyn nodded to Riolu and they both went their separate ways. Kellyn went to bed again and Riolu went to the door.

"OK than. This makes things much easier." said Ash. Thank god he doesn't have to steal Riolu from Kellyn. That would be a dick move to do that to Kellyn. He doesn't deserve it. This way, he at least gave his goodbye to Riolu.

 _"Will you introduce me to your friends."_ asked Riolu as he looked at the cloaked figure beside his master and another Pokemon besides.

"Ou. Yeah. Sure. So this is Mewtwo. He is going to help us with our mission which I'm going to tell you about later." said Ash as he pointed at Mewtwo besides him. Riolu bowed respectfully to the Mewtwo. Riolu's and Lucario's are very noble and respectful Pokemon. It's just in their blood. Mewtwo just nodded from behind his hood. Mewtwo doesn't want to risk the exposure in this land so he kept his cover. Ash was covered like this too. Who knows who could be watching right now.

"You already know Pikachu." said Ash as Pikachu jumped out of his cloak on Ash's shoulder and greeted Riolu. Riolu again bowed back to Pikachu.

"And this is Gardevoir. We met her in the woods not so long before we came here. She is joining us on our crusade." said Ash as he pointed at the opposite end of Mewtwo to Gardevoir.

Riolu blushed slightly as he looked at her. She was so goddamn beautiful. With the moon shining on the dark blue sky today, she looked mesmerizing. He then just bowled again respectfully to pay respect to Gardevoir, and to hide his embarrassed face. Gardevoir just did the only thing she could think of. She saw this a few times so she had an idea how to act in these kinds of situations. She did a courtesy back to Riolu and Riolu began blushing, even more, when he lifted his head up and saw her doing the courtesy.

 _"Great. The first one is down."_ thought Pikachu to himself who was probably the only one who noticed Riolu's blushing face. This doesn't look good for their cave.

"Well. Since we have everything sorted out, let's get back to the cave shall we?" asked Ash Mewtwo.

Mewtwo just nodded. Everything went well so far. Riolu went with them without a problem, the cave was expanding, and they even added a new member to their family. This thought made him think about something. _"Do I consider myself part of their family?"_ asked Mewtwo himself as he looked at his partners and teleported them back to the cave at the frozen mountain.

* * *

 **Author's note: So Ash finally woke up. Cave expansion is in full swing and Mewtwo is taking care of their survival in the mountain. What do you say about Gardevoir? I read few fics but in every single one poachers wanted to capture her and Ash saved her when she was just a little Ralts or Kirlia. I wanted to make it a little different with my own Gardevoir. And finally, a Riolu appeared. So next chapter Ash will begin his training in the arts of Aura with him. Also. Ash'll catch some new Pokemon and I made my decision which one. Not gonna tell you which one but I'll give you the number. He'll catch 11 new Pokemon in total (that includes Riolu and Gardevoir. So he'll catch 9 more) during those 3 years.**

 **Reviews are** **appreciated**


	8. Setting the stage: Family

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Pokemon or any of these characters.**

 **Author's note: Just to let you know, I made a little change in the battle against Tobias. When I was reading the battle I realized that Charizard had five moves. Seismic Toss, Flamethrower, Dragon Rage, Dragon Tail and Overheat. And since Charizard used Overheat only once in that battle, a changed that attack to Dragon Rage so Charizard has four moves. It doesn't affect anything. I will probably release a list of all of Ash's Pokemon and their movesets later to prevent these kinds of mistakes.**

 **Yeah, and someone asked me if Ash is a Prince/King since he is an offspring of the Queen. Well technically no. Since the Queen Rin wasn't married at the time the offspring of Sir Aaron was conceived, he isn't rightful heir to the kingdom. It's a similar concept from Game of Thrones (Am I the only one who disliked the last season of GoT?).**

 **Another thing. Thank you guys for such positive responses to my story. And I reached over 100 followers so thank you for that too. I am here for a little over 2 weeks and I have already these many followers. I didn't expect this at all. It's amazing. Thank you very much.**

"classic conversation"

 _"thoughts/Pokespeech/telepathy"_

 **That is all for now. Enjoy.**

* * *

 **IV. Setting the stage: Family**

"So Riolu. What exactly can Aura Guardian do with his Aura? You are our only source of information so I hope that you know something at least." said Ash.

Immediately after they teleported to the cave Ash's Pokemon greeted them back. But most of them were interested in the new addition to their family. They dragged her out of Ash's and Riolu's sight to Riolu's disappointment. Pikachu went immediately after them to ensure that they won't scare the poor female Pokemon. And when Ash, Mewtwo a Riolu where all alone Ash was ready to find out everything there is to know about Aura.

 _"I don't know very much myself. It is very ancient power so there is not much information about it. But from what I can tell, it is an energy in every living thing. That's why I can sense everything around me even when I have my eyes closed. Grass, trees, people, and Pokemon you can basically see without opening your eyes. You can sense these things around you if you concentrate enough. And if you concentrate on one person or Pokemon, you can communicate with them through what is called Aura Link. Through this link, Guardians were able to communicate with specific Pokemon and to understand their speech too. Also. This energy is very tightly connected to emotions. Don't know why but it is. You can also harness this energy and create an Aura Sphere's and use them in the fight. That's all I know."_ said Riolu to Ash and Mewtwo.

"So. Now that we have you here I'm going to tell you about our mission, and then we could start our training." said Ash. Ash then told Riolu his crazy story about his mission. But Riolu didn't seem to be fazed by it. He looked like he anticipated it.

 _"So where will you start Ash?"_ asked Mewtwo. Mewtwo didn't forget about his part in the training. But since he is an Aura Guardian, he should start with Riolu. Psychic resistance will have to wait.

"Well... sensing others seemed like a good place to start." said Ash. Sensing others seemed like one of those easier things. Great stuff for a beginner like him.

 _"OK then. I'm going to look for some food and water and other stuff we will need here."_ said Mewtwo as he teleported out of the cave. _"He is stealing and isn't even ashamed of himself... I wish I could be like that."_ thought Ash to himself.

 _"So Ash. Let's start. Sit down and get into the meditative position."_ said Riolu to Ash as they started Ash's training.

* * *

 _"Hello there. I am Infernape. Best guy you'll encounter in this cave."_ introduced Infernape confidently himself in pokespeech to that gorgeous Gardevoir in front of him. Infernape, Sceptile, and Glalie dragged her away from Ash, Riolu, Mewtwo, and Pikachu so they could get to know her.

 _"Don't think so. You are just cocky."_ said Sceptile to Infernape.

 _"You speak for yourself right? I am not cocky. I'm just awesome. That's a fact!"_ replied Infernape to Sceptile.

"You are both cocky. I am Glalie by the way. Nice to meet you Gardevoir." said Glalie as he politely greeted her.

 _"Ooo. So our baby boy is all grown up now isn't he. I am Sceptile and I know this ice ball since he was a little baby."_ replied Sceptile confidently as he introduced himself too. The fight between Glalie and Sceptile just got more heated.

That was fast. Gardevoir is in the cave few seconds and they are fighting over her already. Pikachu came to the scene and knew exactly what is happening.

 _"Nooo not you too Pikachu! Come on! There's enough of us already."_ said Infernape to Pikachu when he noticed him beside Gardevoir. Who surprisingly was just standing there listening to the fight between Ash's Pokemon.

 _"I'm not joining you guys."_ replied Pikachu to Infernape. _"I hope no one else will join them."_ thought Pikachu to himself. He is probably the only one who is thinking with his brain from Ash's Pokemon at hand. These three think with their penises right now, Snorlax thinks with his stomach and Charizard... Well. He doesn't think at all. He destroys and asks questions later. Or when he is with Charla, he thinks with his wiener too. At least that's what Liza said. When he thought about it. How on Earth would Glalie want to get it on with Gardevoir? How would that work? He is just a head! Better not think about it too hard if he wants to sleep tonight.

 _"Great than go to Ash. We have important stuff to talk about with Gardevoir over here."_ said Infernape to Pikachu. That was a good sign. At least Pikachu is out of the game. Now he has to get rid of those 2 too. But how?

 _"Ou Nononono. I'm staying. God knows what you'll try to do."_ said Pikachu to the group.

 _"Meh. Whatever. If you want to listen to this then be my guest."_ replied Infernape. On the other hand. The banter between Glalie and Sceptile was slowly coming to an end. Finally.

 _"Gardevoir?"_ asked Pikachu. Pikachu just got a brilliant idea how to end this charade. He is going to play with fire, but it is worth a shot. He isn't going to listen to these fights for 3 years. He'll make sure about that

 _"Y...Yes Pikachu?"_ asked Gardevoir back. Ash's Pokemon were... interesting. When she teleported into the cave first Pokemon she saw was an orange lizard. It was mainly because in this cave lit only by a single candle in the middle of it there isn't anything to see. Except for the burning tail of Charizard. And he looked sad. Sitting there. But before she could think about it more she was dragged away by the others. They were... an interesting bunch. To say at least.

 _"Would you mate with any of them?"_ asked Pikachu as he pointed to the other 3 Pokemon in front of him. It was more like dropping a bomb than asking a question. That was a rude question to ask. But. This could end the fighting over her quickly.

 _"W... wh... Whaaat. Pi... Pikachu. You... you shouldn't ask m...me these questions."_ answered completely embarrassed and blushing Gardevoir. The fact that she has never even been with another Pokemon like he was implying just amplified her embarrassment. Is this how Ash's Pokemon behave? She might regret joining him after all. The other 3 Pokemon just were looking at Pikachu with disbelief. Why on Earth did Pikachu just asked Gardevoir about that? Sceptile and Glalie were speechless. Infernape, on the other hand, was ready to yell at the rude mouse for what he just said, but words died in his throat. He can't just get angry like that in front of Gardevoir if he wants to stay in the game. And before he could compose his thoughts Pikachu spoke again.

 _"Well. I'm sorry. I know it's rude to ask this. But these guys won't stop until they'll get under that natural skirt of yours, or hear a definitive answer from you. And I do not intend to listen how they argue over you."_ replied Pikachu. This should sort it out.

 _"W... What... y.. you mean.. a... w... well..."_ stuttered Gardevoir. They want to... . That's just disturbing to her. Why would they? Are they going to try anything?

 _"I'm sorry if I scared you, but Ash doesn't have much female Pokemon. And when someone as beautiful as you show up like you just did in front of these testosterone filled guys, then you can expect some crazy stuff happening."_ said Pikachu. He knew that they wouldn't try to hurt her in any way. But they would be trying to get her all the time. Undermining each other, fighting over her and more. And he wants to have peace in those 3 years.

 _"G.. Gardevoir. Don't worry. We would never ever do something like that to you if you don't want to. But. If you would want to. Well..."_ replied Sceptile. He winked at Gardevoir with the last statement. Even though they were a bunch of horny Pokemon, they can control themselves. They were raised by Ash after all. They would never hurt her just because their willys told them so.

 _"I...I'm s sorry. B...but. I... I don't want any of you g...guys that way."_ replied embarrassed Gardevoir nervously. She really isn't interested in any of them. And not in sexual way that's for sure. At least they said they would never do anything to her without her approval. That's a good thing. And Pikachu seems to be overlooking them. It should be fine. She'll have to thank Pikachu for this later.

 _"Well then. You heard the lady. Calm your hormones and let's get back to expanding this cave for the others. Pronto! Pronto!"_ said Pikachu. The other 3 Pokemon just sadly nodded and went with him. They all thought about one thing. And that was the cockblocking yellow mouse who ruined their chances with Gardevoir in a few sentences. Next training will be without holding back between those 4. That's certain.

* * *

 **2 days later**

It was early morning in Pallet Town. Pidgey's were chirping, sun was shining and it looked like another ordinary day in the Pallet Town. And it was. For the most part. Only in professor Oak's lab this day wasn't ordinary. It was time. When professor told Ash's pokemon about their release into the wild, each of them took it differently. Some were protesting like Bulbasaur and Noctowl for example. And the other half didn't utter a word. But in the end. Everybody just went with it. They don't have a choice exactly.

Right now, professor Oak is with his cart full of pokeballs in the forest near the lab. He found a spot with a pond nearby. This should be the place.

 _"This is it."_ thought professor Oak to himself. Tracey, Daisy, Gary, Delia and even Cynthia, who was still in Kanto, gave their goodbyes to Ash's Pokemon at the lab. Only he remains. He opened every single pokeball and put it back to the cart. Here they are. All of Ash's Pokemon. Including his herd of Tauros.

"So... We are here. I'm sorry about what happened. But I hope that each one of you can find happiness in the future. After all. It is what Ash would have wanted for you... The lab will feel empty without you. I'm going to miss all of you." said the sad professor to Ash's Pokemon. But, instead of their usual cheers and roars of happiness, it was dead silent in here. It was sad to see them like this. Everyone was always so happy and cheerful. But now. Not a single smile could be seen. Professor than began packing his stuff back to the cart. He was done in a few seconds. for "I hope you guys can get over this. Farewell and take care." said professor sadly to the Pokemon as he disappeared from their sight.

 _"So. What now?"_ asked Donphan the others as he broke the silence with their group. Like all of the Pokemon from Ash's group, he was devasted by the news. Since Ash's death, Donphan spent most of his time just lying there alone at the lab. It hurt so badly losing someone who raised you from an egg.

 _"Do you want to stick together for a while?"_ asked Ash's Kingler. He was one of Ash's Pokemon who hid his sadness pretty well. But there were instances where he broke down.

 _"I think we should. At least for a while."_ said Ash's Bulbasaur. Another Pokemon who hid his sorrow. But unlike Kingler, he didn't break down. Not a single time. He was a natural leader. The oldest one from Ash's former group. He had to take charge. There was no time to be sorry. Someone has to be strong for the others. He is the only one that could keep it together.

 _"I think I can solve your problems."_ said a voice from behind the group. But it wasn't pokespeech. No. It was telepathy.

 _"You? Again? What do you want this time?"_ said Bulbasaur. He was the only one from the group that knew Mewtwo. Everybody else was just surprised to see the Pokemon before them.

 _"I would like to bring you all to Ash."_ said Mewtwo through telepathy to all of them. When he said it, Ash's pokemon were a little surprised that he knew Ash. They never heard of this Pokemon. And it seemed like that only Bulbasaur knew him.

 _"You can't... Ash is dead."_ said Bayleef in her sad tone. She was the first one to break the silence.

 _"He is not."_ said Mewtwo back.

 _"What are you talking. He died in the helicopter crash."_ said Swellow in a harsh tone back.

 _"He did not."_ said Mewtwo back in his unfazed tone.

 _"How could you say something like that. The pilot saw the helicopter blow up with Ash in it. He had no chance to survive the explosion."_ said Quilava to the bipedal Pokemon. Professor told all of them exactly what happened. Not leaving any details. It was just impossible to survive an explosion of that scale.

 _"I teleported him out of the helicopter to Mount Coronet. He is safe and sound inside a cave in the mountain."_ said Mewtwo. Again not fazed by this.

 _"He... He's... alive?"_ asked hopeful Torkoal. He was probably the second most devasted Pokemon when they found out that Ash died. If he is alive. He'll start crying again all over again. But this time not with sadness.

 _"Yes."_ replied Mewtwo.

After this, another silent moment emerged. This time much longer. Nobody knew what to say exactly. Ash is safe and sound in a cave. And this guy wants to teleport them back to him. One Pokemon was getting annoyed by this uncomfortable silence and until he finally said.

 _"Than what the fuck are you waiting for. Teleport us to him!"_ said irritated Buizel quickly.

 _"As you wish."_ said Mewtwo and teleported them from the forest to their trainer.

* * *

 _Meanwhile in a cave_

 _"You are doing much better than I anticipated."_ said Riolu through the link to Ash who just finished his meditation and got up from the cave floor. Ash's aura-sensing ability was improving at a much faster rate than he imagined. He could already tell by the aura who is where inside the cave. He said it isn't clear, but he just feels like he knows who is where. He learned this in two days. That's just amazing. If he'll continue like this, he'll be able to sense people and Pokemon for dozens, maybe even hundreds of meters, if he'll concentrate enough.

 _"Thanks. I have a great teacher to thank for it."_ said Ash back through their Aura Link. Training with Riolu was exhausting, but thankfuly Riolu knew exactly what he was doing. Thanks to that the training was going really well. But there was one thing that slightly bothered Ash. He is like a second Mewtwo. Serious, humorless, and composed all the time. It was impossible to have fun with him during the training. That will change hopefully. One Mewtwo is enough to deal with.

Riolu then just turned to Gardevoir again. She was chatting with Pikachu about something. Again. Since they were here, Gardevoir spend most of her time with the yellow rodent. Other Pokemon didn't approach her very much. They were just chatting with each other on the other side of the cave. And the cave was gigantic right now. Riolu knew what happened when they arrived in the cave. How Pikachu eliminated the chances of those 3 to be with her. He knew that he has to keep his fantasies about her at bay. If Pikachu would find out, he would sink him too. But. She just so goddamn gorgeous. And the fact that she doesn't like fighting just add to her likeliness somehow. He would love to spend a time with her, but he just doesn't know how to do it. He was always with Keller and no one else. So he is absolutely clueless about females. How do you approach a female like her? What do you say to her? How does this all work? He knew that he fell for her. There was no denying to that. But what about it? He doesn't know anything about this. In fact, Riolu could destroy his chances all by himself. And Pikachu is a big factor here too. Pikachu is really protective of her. Riolu was so deep in his thoughts, that he completely forgot to isolate his thoughts from the Aura Link between him and Ash.

 _"I would ask Pikachu and Charizard about this. They could help you."_ said Ash. He heard every single thought that Riolu was thinking. Ash was surprised. He thought that the serious Riolu would not be interested in females at this time. At least it looked like it these past two days. Well. He was proven wrong right now.

 _"Y...You h... heard that?"_ said Riolu back nervously.

 _"Every single word. Heh. Who would have thought that you would fall for her? The serious, honorable, jokeless Riolu is losing his composure over the Gardevoir."_ said Ash trying to tease him a little. Since he can't have fun with him during the training, than he'll have it right now. After the training.

 _"I... I'm sorry. I... I don't know why it happened."_ answered Riolu. He hoped that he would keep this secret to himself until he would want to do something about it."

 _"Well. I'm not a love expert. But from what I can tell, you don't choose who you fall for. It just happens. You have nothing to be sorry for. It's natural. And who knows. Maybe she could make you a little bit more relaxed. Then I would have a much better time training with you. I say go for it Romeo."_ said Ash. Riolu is very shy Pokemon about this stuff. He could sense it from him. He doesn't want Riolu to be upset over this. Charizard could help him since he is with Charla. And Pikachu is the only Pokemon in a cave that Gardevoir talks to. Snorlax is... Snorlax and Pikachu told him about the incident with his other 3 Pokemon. He talked to them to ensure that they won't try anything. They all agreed since Gardevoir rejected all of them anyway. These 3 want only one thing from Gardevoir. And to be fair. Ash couldn't blame them. They were always with him or at professor Oak's ranch. And in either of these situations they don't encounter much female Pokemon. Especially not the like Gardevoir. So it's natural for them to jump at the first opportunity they get with Pokemon of the fairier sex.

However, Riolu's thoughts weren't like that. He just wants to be with her. Ash does not detect any perverted thoughts inside Riolu's head. If any of his Pokemon deserves to be with Gardevoir it's him. Or Pikachu. But Pikachu doesn't want that. So that leaves him.

 _"I... I don't know Ash. Look at me and then at her. I'm nothing just a squirt. And her? Just LOOK at her. You can't even describe her with simple words. How could I win her over? And how does it even work? Being with someone? I know nothing about it. Besides. Pikachu won't let me get near her. I can't do anything about it."_ said Riolu back.

 _"I don't think Gardevoir really cares about your height appearance or any of that stuff. Look at Pikachu. And Pikachu is the only one she can normally speak to right now. Others are just... others. I think Pikachu would help you to work something out. Maybe even Charizard. He isn't really himself these days but you could try. You can't just give up when you didn't even try to ask her. Who knows. Perhaps she's into a smaller Pokemon."_ said Ash to Riolu trying to comfort him. This wasn't his expertise. But he knows a thing or two about this stuff. A relationship between Buneary and Pikachu was... interesting to watch. Not as entertaining as Brock trying to swoon Joy's and Jenny's, but interesting nonetheless.

"Pikachu. Come here for a moment. Alone please." invited Ash Pikachu to their conversation. Not even asking for Riolu's opinion.

"Pika!" said Pikachu as he ran to his trainer leaving Gardevoir alone there.

"Pikachu. Riolu has some question for you." said Ash to the yellow mouse Pokemon and looked at Riolu. Trying to encourage him to open up to Pikachu. They are one big family trying to help each other in everything after all. That includes these things too. Ash just was just sitting beside them trying to help Riolu as much as possible.

 _"Sure. What's up buddy. Training going well?"_ said Pikachu in his pokespeech to Riolu.

 _"T...Training is going well."_ answered Riolu nervously. An awkward silence followed.

 _"Come on Riolu. Don't be afraid. You can trust Pikachu."_ said Ash to Riolu.

 _"...It's about Gardevoir. Isn't it?"_ asked Pikachu back in pokespeech.

 _"H...How d.. do you know?"_ replied surprised Riolu.

 _"It wasn't hard to tell. You didn't exactly try to hide it."_ said Pikachu. Ash was just observing the conversation picking up some stuff Pikachu said. But he doesn't want to interfere. Pikachu knows about this stuff much more than him.

 _"Does... Does she know?"_ asked Riolu.

 _"Not yet. What do you want with her exactly? 3 horny Pokemon are just enough. I don't need to look after another one."_ said Pikachu. Pikachu had an idea what was going on here. But it never hurts to ask just to make sure. But Riolu was silent after this question. So Pikachu raised the stakes.

 _"Well. If you won't tell me anything then I'll have to tell her that you are just another Pokemon trying to find out what's hiding under her skirt."_ said Pikachu as he slowly turned around and started slowly walking back to Gardevoir.

Suddenly all the logical thinking left Riolu's head. He can't let this happen. Riolu then just launched himself on Pikachu. Pikachu hadn't expected that and both of them rolled a few meters before they stopped with Riolu on top of Pikachu.

 _"Don't... Please don't..."_ said Riolu.

" _Tell me what do you want with her and I won't."_ said Pikachu who may be below Riolu but, on the other hand, he was on top of things.

 _"I... I don't know exactly. I... I guess being near her is enough for me now."_ confessed Riolu.

 _"Well. You'll get what you ask for lover boy. Like. Right now. You are going to get it."_ whispered Pikachu to his friend. Riolu was confused by this but Pikachu was on top of things. As always. He saw Gardevoir rushing to them after Riolu jumped on Pikachu. This is going to be fun. Sceptile, Glalie, and Infernape were just horny idiots. Riolu on the other hand. He was just so... helpless when it comes to Gardevoir. Yeah, he'll help him. He is a good guy for someone like Gardevoir. He could tell. However, he is gonna have some fun with him too. He has to entertain himself during those 3 years after all.

 _"Riolu, Pikachu what is going on?"_ asked Gardevoir in her pokespeech as she rushed to them. They haven't got any bruises so that's a good thing. But what happened?

 _"I don't know. Riolu? What is going on?"_ asked Pikachu innocently.

Riolu then immediately jumped of Pikachu and looked at Gardevoir. Then back at Pikachu. How is he going to explain this? He can't lie. That's just wrong. But he can't tell the exact truth either. Think. Think... _"Ok this should do the trick."_ thought Riolu as he prepared to speak again.

 _"Pikachu said something that angered me. I am incredibly sorry Pikachu. I should not just jump at you like that. And I'm sorry that you had to witness this Gardevoir too. Please forgive me."_ said Riolu as he bowed to them. Well. He didn't lie and told the truth. Hopefully, it'll do.

Just as Pikachu was ready to give him the answer, Mewtwo and all of Ash's Pokemon teleported inside the cave. Cave itself was now massive. Tauros could even run here as a herd to a certain extent. There were even torches on the cave walls to light up the cave. There was a big fireplace in the middle of the cave too. Right next to the fireplace was Ash's bag. Ash hadn't looked in it during those 2 weeks. He should change that soon. Infernape even made a tunnel from where a fresh air could come inside the cave and the smoke goes outside. Nobody knew how he managed to make a tunnel, which kept the warmth inside the cave and get the smoke out of the cave. But nobody asked the questions. They are just glad it works somehow since they have the exit blocked by the boulder to protect them from the cold outside.

As soon as the new Pokemon inside the cave saw Ash every single one of them just stormed right at him. Before Ash could make a word he was in the middle of a big group hug from all of his Pokemon.

 _"These are all of Ash's Pokemon?"_ asked Gardevoir. There were a lot of Pokemon. Well. Mostly Tauros. But still. It was kind of amazing when everyone just jumped at him. They truly were like one big family. And she was now part of this family. It just put a smile on her face. Riolu was in the same mindset as Gardevoir right now.

 _"Not really. He had a few more. But they are scattered across the regions Ash traveled through. Ash left some of his Pokemon when they wanted to pursue their dreams. It was always for a different reason though. Some left to train. Others left because they wanted to start their family. Some to defend the weak. And some just had to stay to keep things under control in certain places."_ explained Pikachu to Gardevoir and Riolu. It hurt slightly inside. Pikachu now remembered all of his friends that part their ways with Ash. Pikachu wondered. Will he see his friends again? He knew that some of them are long gone. Lapras and Buterfree for example. They can be anywhere with their respective families. But there are others. Like Pidgeot, Squirtle and Primape or even the Hauter with Sabrina. Ash promised them to come back for them when the time comes. Is this the time?

 _"Wow. So Ash let his Pokemon really pursue what they want to?"_ asked Riolu. It was really amazing.

 _"Yep. He's great Pokemon trainer isn't he?"_ replied Pikachu praising his human.

 _"Yeah."_ said Gardevoir and Riolu simultaneously. After a few minutes of the reunition, they all lined themselves in front of Ash. Ash then apologized for the trouble he caused and explained the situation to them. Some of them were surprised but some just took it like it was another normal thing in their lives. But no one minded. Ash and their friends are alive. That's the only thing that matters.

"Ou Yeah. I nearly frogot. I made two new friends. I would like you all to meet them. Gardevoir and Riolu. Can you come here?" asked Ash as the two Pokemon came to him.

"Ok, so this is Riolu. He is helping me with the aura training. And this is Gardevoir. She is the healing specialist and doesn't fight. So if anything happens to you, you go to her and she'll heal you. Riolu, Gardevoir these are my buddies from my travels." said Ash as he introduced the group to Gardevoir and Riolu. He expected a lot of them to go crazy over Gardevoir like those 3 before. But to his surprise, nobody was acting like they wanted her. That was a giant relief. Everybody then greeted the newcomers and the two of them joined the Pokemon in front of Ash. Sceptile, Glalie, Infernape, Snorlax, and Charizard joined the group too. Pikachu then went to Ash and jumped on his shoulder as Mewtwo stood next to Ash.

"Ok. So now that I have all of you here I have a favor to ask. This cave will be our home for the next few years. Infernape with the others already expanded this cave and lighten it up. But I still feel like we could make it much better place. So first of all. In the corner of this cave, there is a big hole in the ground. I would like Kingler, Corphish, Totodile and Buizel to fill it with water to create a pond where we can clean ourselves and use the water for our needs." said Ash. As soon as he said this, his water Pokemon went to the corner he pointed and were ready to fill the hole up.

"Great! Now another thing. I would like to flatten the floor here. So Donphan." said Ash as Donphan started paying attention to his trainer. "I want you to use Rollout in this cave and flatten the floor." When Ash finished, Donphan started rolling out on in the cave flattening the surface of the cave. "Tauroses. You can help him by stampeding around the cave. But don't overdo it. We don't want the cave to collapse on ourselves." said Ash as his herd of Tauros begin stampeding all around the cave.

"Awesome! Muk. I'll need your help too. As soon as they'll be finished by flattening it here, I want you to fill the floor with mud with your Sludge Bombs." said Ash to his only poison type Pokemon. Who immediately came to Ash and hugged him. It was some time when he used him for... anything. So he was glad that he can finally do something. After Ash cleaned himself from Muk's mess, he continued.

"I'll need to use that pond very soon. Thanks Muk. But back to the topic. For the last thing I'll need Bulbasaur, Bayleef, Sceptile, and Torterra to fill the mud with grass and some seeds. I know that together you can work it out somehow. I would like some small bushes to fill it up a little here." said Ash to his grass Pokemon who just cheered.

"The rest of us will prepare the place's where all of us will be sleeping." said Ash to the other Pokemon. As they all cheered happily went to do their tasks.

* * *

 **7 hours later**

It was evening outside of the cave already. Ash and his Pokemon are now in in one group lying on top of each other panting heavily. It was a tiring process of redesigning the cave. But in the end they managed. Donphan with the herd of Tauros finished quickly their task. Muk took a little longer to cover the floor with the Sludge bombs but he made it. Around this time Ash's water Pokemon managed to create a big pond in the one corner of the cave. Ash then used his Charizard, Infernape, Quilava and Torkoal to dry the mud out a little. This created a slightly wet dirt. Then his grass Pokemon came to the scene. Bayleef then revealed to him that she knows a new move called Grassy Terrain. And in an instant, the floor of the cave was covered with small stems of grass. Bulbasaur used his bulb to shoot out some seeds into the dirt. Sceptile was checking out Torterra's tree on the back to find some seeds and plant them into the ground. They managed to do it and hopefully they'll start to bloom soon enough. Other's were digging the holes inside the cave's walls to create a place's where all of them would sleep. Hole for each one of them. Finally it was finished.

"Guys... We did it." said Ash still panting.

All of Ash's Pokemon just nodded slightly No one had the energy to say anything or do anything. Well. Except for one Pokemon. He looked like he wasn't tired at all.

 _"I'm gonna get us some food and water. And I'll try to get you some pokeballs for you to finally catch us."_ said Mewtwo to Ash. It wasn't tiring for him to do this. He is one of the strongest Pokemon on the planet. So creating some holes in the wall didn't tire him much.

"Th... Thanks..." said Ash still panting a little. But then he realized something.

"Wait. Did you say you'll get some pokeballs for US?" asked Ash Mewtwo. Does Mewtwo know that a word US includes him too? He has to. Right?

 _"Yes."_ replied Mewtwo.

"You... You do realize that by US you mean yourself too right?" asked Ash to trying to figure out what was going on.

" _Yes."_ answered Mewtwo. What is so hard to understand here?

"Do you REALLY want to be caught by ME?" asked Ash in disbelief.

 _"Yes."_ replied Mewtwo.

"W... Why? You realize that you don't have to do that right?" asked Ash in disbelief once again.

 _"It's simple. It's my purpose to fight by your side. And it doesn't matter if it is against Team Rocket, wild Pokemon or some wandering trainer. Fighting by your side. That is my purpose. I know that now."_ said Mewtwo to Ash.

"Wow... Well... Ok then...If you want to join us for good I won't stop you." said Ash trying to figure out what did just happened.

 _"I would love to join you."_ said Mewtwo to Ash.

"Then welcome to the family Mewtwo!" said Ash to the bipedal cat-like Pokemon as Ash's other Pokemon cheered for their newest member. Never in a million years, he imagined that he would have the legendary Pokemon. It was unbelievable.

Mewtwo on the other hand just stood there as Ash's Pokemon cheered for him. Welcoming him to the group. Is this what it feels like to belong somewhere? It'... It's a great feeling. The whole world now seemed prettier. It was like someone just gave him the best gift he could ask for. He would even tear up. But he has to uphold his image. So he just stared at the group. At his new family. _"Thank you. All of you."_ said Mewtwo through telepathy to all of them and just teleported out of the cave to find some food and water. But most importantly. New pokeballs for his new Pokemon family.

* * *

 **Author's note: Ash caught Mewtwo. Yay! But this is the only legendary Pokemon that Ash will catch. I think owning a one nuke is more than enough for Ash. Also. I didn't include Mewtwo to Ash's new Pokemon that he'll catch when I counted them. So the number is still same. Ash will still catch 9 new Pokemon. Speaking of them. Next chapter will be all about Ash's new Pokemon. Then there will be a 3-year time skip or a training chapter. I'll see what'll come to my mind. Anyway that is all for today's chapter**

 **Reviews are appreciated**


	9. Setting the stage: Forging the Team

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Pokemon or any of these characters.**

 **Author's note: So this chapter is a little spicier from the romantic standpoint in the beginning. The story is rated M for a reason. So you can except this kind of scenes from time to time. Sorry for the late upload but as you can see this is much longer chapter than those before. So I hope that compensate for that. I wanted to give every Pokemon Ash'll catch in this chapter a personality. I hope that I achieved that.**

"classic conversation"

 _"thoughts/Pokespeech/telepathy"_

 **That is all for now. Enjoy.**

* * *

 **V. Setting the stage: Forging the team**

 _"Riolu! Riolu! Riolu! Wake up! Come and look at something!"_ said Pikachu. It was a dark night in the Sinnoh region. Moon was nowhere to be seen and the clouds were darkening the region even more. Everybody was in deep sleep in the cave lighten up by a few torches on the walls except one yellow Pokemon who is now nagging Riolu in his room in the wall.

 _"Huh... Who's that?"_ said Riolu. After their long session of expanding the cave, he was tired. Add the fact that he was overlooking Ash training and you've got one very tired Riolu who does not like to be woken up in the middle of the night. He didn't even recognize who was talking to him right now.

 _"It's your Pikabro. Something weird is happening to Ash. And I think it has something to do with Aura."_ said Pikachu.

 _"... It better be something worth to wake up for. I'm really tired if you didn't notice."_ replied Riolu to the Pikachu.

 _"Trust me. It is. I've never seen anything like this before. And I've seen a lot of crazy stuff happening in the past."_ said Pikachu to Riolu.

 _"I hope so."_ said the tired Riolu to Pikachu.

And without anything other to say, after Riolu finally got up, Pikachu and Riolu made their way to Ash's 'room' which was a hole in the cave walls with a grass floor. As all the other rooms. Pikachu shared this room with Ash since he always slept next to him. As they were walking, Riolu suddenly stopped in his tracks. During the short walk, he was looking at all of Ash's Pokemon inside their rooms. Every single one was sleeping. And they were probably tired too. But one Pokemon just caught his eye. Again. She was even prettier when she was asleep. Riolu's eyes were just glued to her.

 _"Come one loverboy. That's just creepy."_ said Pikachu when he realized that his friend was watching Gardevoir sleep.

 _"I... I'm sorry. I... don't know what's wrong with me. I can't control myself properly."_ apologized embarrassed Riolu to Pikachu.

 _"Considering the other Pokemon we have here. You can control yourself very well. Now come with me. Your girl can wait until the morning. This can't. Whatever that is"_ said Pikachu to Riolu.

Riolu took one last glance at Gardevoir and then the two Pokemon resumed the walk. After a minute they were finally at Ash's room. Inside was a sleeping Ash. He didn't even sleep in his sleep bag. Just him on the grass with his signature hat covering his eyes. Pikachu was right. There was something going on here. And it definitely has to do something with Aura.

 _"What is that?"_ asked Pikachu Riolu as Pikachu pointed at the sleeping Ash.

 _"I... I don't know. It is definitely his Aura energy. But I don't know what exactly is going on here. Had it happened before?"_ asked Riolu Pikachu.

 _"I don't think so. Can you somehow check if it's dangerous with your abilities?"_ asked concerned Pikachu. Even though Ash was visibly still breathing and sleeping, you never know what it can be.

 _"I think it's not. Aura isn't dangerous to those who are born with it. But I'll try to find out what's going on. Maybe it's some forgotten Aura ability."_ said Riolu to his concerned yellow friend. Aura can be a dangerous thing if you aren't born with it and you are trying to mess with the power of of Aura. They will completely mess with your head and emotions if you aren't an Aura Guardian. But Ash was a natural born Aura user and has an incredible gift to control his Aura without much of a training. Ash shouldn't be in any kind of danger. But Riolu will check him up. Just in case.

Riolu then got into meditative position and began to focus on Ash. More specifically on his glowing stomach. After few minutes Riolu began to finally feel something. And what he is feeling isn't an ordinary Aura emitting from Ash's stomach. There were numerous strange things happening. Firstly, it felt like Ash's aura, but at the same time, there was someone else's Aura. Secondly, the place from where the Aura was glowing. Riolu could sense it. How Ash's Aura was seeping through a place on Ash's left side of the abdomen. But probably the strangest thing was that the Aura that was glowing with a bright blue color was filled with one emotion. It was the same feeling that he felt with Gardevoir. It doesn't take a genius to figure out what it was. But then there was another thing. _"What is this?"_ thought Riolu as he focused at the place on Ash's left side of the abdomen. It is some kind of mark. Or tattoo. The mark that was emitting bright light blue glow looked like a dark blue tribal tattoo on Ash's side. Strange thing was that the mark wasn't on Ash's skin. It was beneath the skin. It's like some kind of Aura energy grouped together and formed this emitting tribal tattoo that is connected to someone. But to who? Even though Riolu tried to find out to who it's connected he couldn't do it. The connection was completely cut off from Riolu. After several tries, Riolu gave up and slowly opened his eyes.

 _"So. What is it?"_ asked Pikachu when he saw Riolu opening his eyes.

 _"I... I don't know exactly._ " replied Riolu to Pikachu.

 _"Is it dangerous?"_ asked Pikachu again. The way Riolu said it doesn't calm Pikachu down at all.

 _"No. I don't think so... Is there any chance that Ash has a tattoo?"_ asked Riolu.

 _"Ash? No. Definitely not. He was never into crazy hairstyles, piercings, and tattoos. Why do you ask on THIS anyway?"_ replied Pikachu.

 _"Wait. What's a piercing?"_ asked curious Riolu.

 _"Some people like to get pierced some parts of their body and leave some kind of small metal object there. I saw it a few times. They mostly pierce their tongues and part of lips."_ explained Pikachu. He remembers when he saw it the first time. Strange thing.

 _"WHAT? Why would they do that?"_ asked Riolu in disbelief. Who would willingly pierce their body parts? Why? What purpose does it serve?

 _"I don't know. Some people like this sort of stuff."_ replied Pikachu as he shrugged his arms.

 _"... Humans are weird."_ replied Riolu. Piercing yourself because you like it. Sounds pretty dumb if you ask Riolu.

 _"Yeah, I know. But what is weird about our human? Care to tell me? We got sidetracked a little."_ asked Pikachu still trying to find out what his happening to Ash.

 _"Nothing serious it seems. However, he has some kind of mark or tattoo on the left side of the abdomen. That's from where the blue glow is coming from."_ explained Riolu to Pikachu

Pikachu then looked at his sleeping human. He was getting ready to look at the mark, tattoo or whatever he has there. But Riolu stopped him.

 _"You won't find anything there. It's not visible to you. It's some kind of Aura mark or tattoo. Invisible to human and Pokemon eyes."_ said Riolu to Pikachu.

 _"... Anything else?"_ asked Pikachu.

 _"Ehmmmm... Well... the glow is emitting a certain feeling."_ said Riolu to Pikachu. God. How he hates conversations about this stuff.

 _"Feeling of? Come on Riolu. Stop answering in riddles. It's annoying."_ said Pikachu to his blue friend.

 _"W... Well... Did Ash had a... mate?"_ asked Riolu Pikachu as he scratched the back of his head in embarrassment.

 _"Who? Him? Really? Ash probably don't even know what to do with a mate. He had so many girls around him that they were practically dancing around Ash for attention and he didn't do anything. He is in a worse state about females then you are. And that's saying something."_ replied Pikachu to Riolu.

 _"Ou... Ok. Well. The thing is. Love is the emotion that is radiating from his stomach with his aura. Which reminds me that I felt somebody else aura there. But I couldn't trace it back. The connection shut me off completely."_ said Riolu to Pikachu.

 _"Guh. This is so confusing. We'll ask him later. I don't have the energy to dwell on it now."_ said Pikachu to the Emanation Pokemon.

 _"Yeah. I'm pretty tired myself."_ said Riolu as he was slowly making his way towards his room.

 _"Romeo you won't leave me here with him won't you? I can't sleep here when he is shining like a star."_ said Pikachu to Riolu as he pointed to Ash.

 _"You won't sleep in my room. I want to have at least a little privacy here. Besides. You can just wake him up."_ said Riolu to Pikachu. He has a lot of space for him there. But in this cave you won't have a private time for yourself much. And he intends to make that time count.

 _"Come on. He had a tough day. He deserves the rest. Please."_ said Pikachu to Riolu.

 _"Sleep somewhere else."_ said Riolu to Pikachu. That yellow mouse is getting annoying.

 _"And what if I give you some tips how to get close with a certain Gardevoir? Would that make your sacrifice of privacy worth it?"_ said Pikachu with a sly smile on his face.

 _"... Come."_

* * *

 _Meanwhile in Ash's head_

 _"Huh? What is going on?"_ said Ash to himself. Ash remembered that he fell asleep in his new build room when he and everyone else was just so tired after working on their cave. He wanted to wait for Mewtwo when he comes back, but Pikachu and Riolu dragged him to his room for some rest and he fell asleep almost immediately.

And right now, Ash felt that like he was awake. And it felt very VERY realistic. He knew he was sleeping. But. This wasn't a dream. Not a chance. He saw, heard and smelled everything around him. But there was one problem. He wasn't himself. And he wasn't in his body either. It was like he was paralyzed inside someone else's body and had no control over the body. Ash was feeling like a co-driver in a car. Seeing and hearing everything, but not having any control over the car whatsoever.

Ash now realized that his vision was limited to some extent too. _"This person must have one of the eyes covered or don't have it at all."_ thought Ash to himself. As the person was walking through a corridor of a hall, the person stopped in front of a door. The person then reached for the keys inside person's trousers and pulled a key up. Then the person looked down on a door and a keyhole. Ash now had the first look on the body he was now in. And the first thing he spotted? _"Boobs in a turquoise blouse... So I'm in a girl... That came out wrong. What the hell is wrong with me lately?!"_ thought Ash to himself as he was beginning to pay attention to the girl, his mind was now in. Unfortunately for Ash, the girl lifted her head up and was walking through the room denying him look between those two nicely shaped hills.

The girl closed behind herself, took off the boots, and was heading towards another door. She opened them revealing a nicely equipped bathroom. She then locked the door again and turned to the bathroom. Bathtub, shower, sink, toilet, mirror, and counters with hygiene aids and towels. All of it was in a clean white color. Tiles were from marble and walls were white too. But something startled Ash when he looked at the counter. _"No cosmetics? Is this really a woman?"_ thought Ash to himself.

Then the person went to the bathtub and started to fill it with steaming water. _"Wait. Wait. Wait a second. Does she really..."_ thought Ash, but before he could finish his thoughts the person began undressing. _"Well. Ok then. Guess we'll find out if it's really a woman. Please be a woman. I really don't want to watch some booby guy bath."_ thought Ash. Head looked down again now revealing that it was a woman with a delicate milky skin. When the blouse and her brown trousers were left on the tiles the woman was left with black bra and panties. _"Now that I think about it. Even if it is a woman it will be weird too. God, I wonder what my body is going through right now."_ thought Ash to himself. And to get things even weirder her right side of the abdomen was starting to glow in bright blue color. It wasn't a big area, and the light from the golden chandelier hid it pretty well too so the woman didn't notice. But Ash did.

 _"And what is this?"_ asked Ash himself the question about the mysterious blue glow. But before he could inspect anything else in that area, the head was lifted up again. Her hands made their way to her back and then the woman unclipped her bra. Then she looked down and started to take off her panties as well. _"Oh boy. This is just... weird. Nice but weird."_ thought Ash. And Ash had to give it to her. This woman had a nice asset. At least Ash thought so. When the woman looked down she revealed her small pink nipples and areolas to Ash. " _Not gonna lie. I am enjoying this much more than I probably should. Just look at those curves! Those boobs are just perfect. And look at those wide hips and flat stomach. Man she is stunning."_ thought Ash. He should try to wake up and don't do this. It's just wrong to creep on someone like this. However, he is technically still dreaming. Soooooo. Let's enjoy the show!

The girl was now taking off her panties. And as she was taking them down, Ash caught another glimpse of something that could help him identify this mysterious blue glowing milky woman. _"Hmm...a small blonde bush? Just who are you blondie?"_ thought Ash to himself. When the panties fell to the ground the woman turned to the mirror for the first time since Ash was in this weird situation.

 **"CYNTHIA?!"** yelled Ash when he saw her face in the mirror above the sink.

 _"Ash?"_ asked someone in a sweet voice.

 _"Crap...Come on Ash. Wake up. Now you have to. Wake up! WAKE UP ASH! **WAKE THE FUCK UP ASH!"**_ thought Ash to himself trying to get out of there before Cynthia realize that he was there. Who knows how this thing works. Fortunately for Ash, his wishes came true and he woke up.

* * *

 _Back in the cave in the morning_

Ash woke up breathing heavily. He looked at the body and thankfully it was his. Then he realized that he had a morning problem between his legs. _"Too tight. Too tight."_ thought Ash. To be honest he could expect this problem when he would wake up from that unexpected...dream? He looked around and found out that his Pokemon were sleeping. Only one was up. And he was coming to him.

 _"You okay Ash? You look like you've seen a ghost."_ said Mewtwo through telepathy who arrived a few hours ago with a bag full of empty pokeballs. It was much harder to steal them then he thought. They have much better security on these things than food or water in ordinary shops.

"I... I think... I was in someone's mind in real life when I was sleeping." said Ash to Mewtwo as he covered his crotch area with his hat.

 _"Don't worry about it. It is probably some Aura ability you have. Or it could be just a dream. You can ask Riolu about it. But till then. You can share it with me if it'll help you."_ said Mewtwo to Ash. It looked like Ash needed someone to talk to. And Mewtwo thought right.

Ash told Mewtwo a few things about his encounter. That he was in some woman's body and that he screamed when the woman heard him and that he immediately woke up after that. He left the part about Cynthia's stripping of course. Nobody can know what really happened. NOBODY.

"This is so confusing. I hope Riolu knows what it was." said Ash trying to calm down slowly. A minute passed by and Ash was finally getting rid of the thoughts of his 'dream'. Even though the image of naked Cynthia will stay with him for a long time.

"So. Mewtwo. What's next? We have the cave sorted out and my Pokemon are back." asked Ash Mewtwo who listened to Ash story the whole time.

 _"I believe that you should catch some more Pokemon. You'll need more of them to take Team Rocket down."_ replied Mewtwo.

"Sound's good. But how? Do I just come out and catch everything that crosses my path? I don't think that's a good idea. I can't train everyone like this." asked Ash.

 _"Well. I think some Pokemon wait specifically for you. Remember. You found Gardevoir through your unique connection to Pokemon. Maybe if we'll just fly around Sinnoh or other regions we'll find more of those Pokemon. Just follow your instincts Ash."_ replied Mewtwo.

"I am thinking that the only thing I should ever do is follow my gut." said Ash. Even though it always paid off, to follow his gut, Ash is wondering if it'll stay that way. Other people use logic to overcome their obstacles. But Ash? You could count his logical decisions in life on the one hand. The others were just spontaneous solutions that came to him right away. No thinking. Just doing what came to mind. Numerous time it nearly killed him or his Pokemon. How long it'll last till his luck runs out?

" _Well. Just do what you always did and everything should run smoothly. So. What should we do today then? What do your instincts tell you?"_ asked Mewtwo.

"Well, my gut tells me that your idea seems like a good one. Let's wait for the others to wake up and hit the road." replied Ash.

When Ash's and Mewtwo's debate ended, they waited for Ash's Pokemon to wake up. When they did, Ash finally caught them all inside the ordinary pokeballs that Mewtwo brought. There was one complication with this though. And the complication was Pikachu. Pikachu's hatred for pokeballs was so strong that he even attacked the others when they wanted to hold him off for Ash to catch him. It took the combined power of Gliscor, Donphan, Sceptile, and Charizard to hold him off for a brief second and let Ash catch Pikachu inside the pokeball.

Now only one pokeball remained unused. One slightly changed pokeball. The usually red top half of this pokeball was instead colored in a bright purple color. Signature color of the last uncaught Pokemon in the cave. All of Ash's Pokemon were outside of their pokeballs and were watching this memorable moment.

"Mewtwo. I am going to ask one more time. Is this really what you want?" asked Ash as he was holding Mewtwo's pokeball in his hand.

 _"And I'm going to say one more time yes it is."_ said Mewtwo telepathically to Ash. And without any warning, Mewtwo lift his hand and tapped the button on the pokeball and the red light sucked him inside the pokeball. One shake. Second shake. And the last shake. Ash just caught a legendary Pokemon. After that, Ash immediately released Mewtwo as he did with all of his Pokemon previously.

"Well. Now you are officially part of the gang." said Ash to Mewtwo when he materialized before him.

"By the way. You just had to make yourself special with this pokeball didn't you." said Ash to Mewtwo trying to joke around a little bit.

 _"Yes."_ replied Mewtwo. To this Ash and all of his Pokemon just giggled at Mewtwo's straightforward behavior.

After this exchange, Riolu and angry Pikachu stepped out of the crowd. Riolu then talked to Ash through his Aura Link.

 _"Ash? Did you experience something unusual when you were sleeping?"_ asked Riolu straight away.

"Y...Yes. I... I did. But. What gave you the idea?" replied Ash. He was going to ask Riolu about his 'dream', but he didn't except Riolu to know something about it.

 _"Ash. You have some kind of tribal Aura mark or tattoo or whatever it is on your abdomen. It was glowing so brightly, that Pikachu had to sleep in my room this night because he couldn't fall asleep."_ said Riolu.

"A glowing mark?" asked Ash. He then unzipped his Sinnoh jacket and pulled his shirt up. But he couldn't find the mark there.

 _"It's not visible to the human or Pokemon eye. Next time you'll meditate try to focus on your left side of the abdomen. It should be there."_ said Riolu to his confused trainer.

 _"What happened in your sleep?"_ asked Riolu. Pikachu was still near him. But he is just so angry at Ash that he forced him inside the pokeball that he didn't utter a single syllable.

"Yeah... Well... I was in... another person's body. I saw and heard everything that they did, but I didn't control the body. I think that it wasn't a dream. I... I think that somehow I connected to this person because the right side of the person's abdomen was glowing in a blue light too." said nervous Ash to Riolu.

 _"Hmm... it could be possible that two people can connect like this. But I never heard of this power. Is this the first time this thing happened?"_ asked Riolu. Aura is in everyone so the possibilities of this power are vast. And a connection between two humans could be similar to the connection between him and Charizard for example. It's not that surprising that Ash could have this power.

"Yes." answered Ash.

 _"Interesting. Anything else you can think of that could help us identify this possible new ability."_ asked curious Riolu.

"Ehm... No. No, I don't think so." said Ash nervously.

 _"OK then. Let's go to the others Pikachu. You promised me something this night."_ said Riolu to Pikachu. Pikachu was eyeing Ash the whole time. He knows his trainer through and through. It was clear that he didn't tell them everything. And the fact that he stuttered the whole time implied one thing. It was something embarrassing. _"What is your dirty little secret Ash?"_ thought Pikachu to himself. When he'll find out, he is sure that he'll remind it to Ash every chance he'll get for that pokeball prison torture Ash forced him into.

* * *

 **3 hours later**

"I said I'm sorry numerous times. You know how it works Pikachu." said Ash to his yellow friend. Both of them were now high in the skies on Charizard's back with Mewtwo flying beside them. Ash and Mewtwo both wore they usual stealthy attire. And yes it was weird seeing a flying Mewtwo in his cloak.

"Pi pikachu pika pika pi!" yelled Pikachu to Ash. Ash caught a few words. Most of them were swear words.

"Come on. You were there just for a second. Not even that. It can't be that bad." said Ash back to him. Their banter was going on for some time before it finally came to an end.

 _"Finally."_ thought Mewtwo and Charizard Ash's fight with Pikachu ended.

They were flying all around the Sinnoh Region for 3 hours already. They were nearly everywhere and Ash still couldn't register any Pokemon in the areas with his weird connection power. Maybe the thing with Gardevoir was a one-time thing. Maybe it has to do something with Gardevoir's telepathy and not his Aura abilities. They were ready to fly back to the frozen mountain but then Ash finally sensed someone calling out to him again.

"There! Someone is right there!" yelled Ash as he pointed to the fairly large pond inside the forest below them.

Startled at first, but when Charizard realized what was going on he slowly descended next to the pond with Ash and Pikachu. Shortly after, Mewtwo landed on the ground too. Ash and Pikachu jumped off the Charizard's back and looked at the pond. The pond in the middle of the forest looked magnificent. Clear water surrounded by a small sandy beach and trees all around the place. Definitely better-looking pond than the one where he found Gardevoir. But this time, he sensed that the Pokemon was in the water. Somewhere in the middle of the pond. _"Damn. Should have brought the bathing suit. Do I even have it in the bag? I should really look into the bag when I come back."_ thought Ash to himself.

"Buizel. I choose you." said Ash as he unclipped one of the 20 pokeballs Ash brought with himself on his belt and threw it in the air. The weird thing is he didn't yell his signature phrase as he always does. He said it in his normal tone to keep his low profile.

Ash said to the sea weasel Pokemon that there is someone in the middle of the lake. Buizel jumped into the water and was waiting for Ash. Ash then slowly undressed with only his boxers on and hesitantly began walking into the cold water. Ash was going deeper and deeper into the water with each step until the water reached a critical part of his body. _"Sorry, Ash junior. I hope you won't turn into an icicle when I'll do this."_ thought Ash as he looked at his crotch area. Then suddenly a log hit him in the back and he was thrust into the freezing water without mercy.

 _"You could have been a little softer with that throw you know."_ said Pikachu to Charizard at the grassy field near the small sandy beach around the pond.

 _"We would be here all day if I would be 'softer' with him"_ replied Charizard to Pikachu.

Even though the water was freezing, Ash got used to it pretty quickly. Ash then looked at smiling Charizard with an angry expression. But. Charizard didn't care in the slightest that Ash was angry. And so Ash and Buizel swam to the center of the fairly round pond leaving Mewtwo, Pikachu, and Charizard on the grassy field near the pond.

Ash with Buizel was now in the middle of the pond. After a few seconds, Ash felt someone calling for him again. It was coming from below.

"Buizel. I'll need you to bring me under water. I'll be pointing in the directions where I think the Pokemon is. OK?" said Ash to Buizel.

"Bui!" yelled excited Buizel.

In a matter of seconds, both of them were under the water. And it doesn't matter how many times Ash sees it but the sight of so many water Pokemon swimming underwater will always amaze him. This pond was very lively. And thanks to the clear water it wasn't hard to see under it. But what was hard was trying to keep his breath underwater. Ash had a well-trained lungs from all the traveling and swimming he did on his journey. But being in a freezing water for two minutes can tire even Ash. But they were really close to the Pokemon. And Ash could recognize this Pokemon already. But there was something wrong with the Pokemon. As they were nearing the Pokemon Ash could tell what was wrong. This fish like Pokemon had one of its fins greatly damaged. Not just damaged but this fin was much smaller than the other one. The Pokemon was swimming very slowly thanks to this. When Ash neared the Pokemon he just grabbed the Pokemon and gestured Buizel to swim back to the shore since Ash was running out of breath. The Pokemon they found didn't even struggle to break free.

* * *

 _Meanwhile outside of the water._

 _"So. Will you help me with our loverboy?"_ asked Pikachu.

 _"What is there to help with? Riolu should just show her he is the Alpha and he'll have her on her back screaming his name in no time."_ replied Charizard. That's how it worked for him anyway. Show the others you are the best and females will come. Easy as that.

 _"Yeah about that. I don't think that Gardevoir would find that appealing. Besides. You two are now the 'Alphas' in our cave and it doesn't look like you would give it up for Riolu. So that's out of the question."_ said Pikachu to Mewtwo and Charizard.

 _"Why won't he just tell her?"_ asked Mewtwo. These relationship problems are still new to him. And his opinion is that they are absolutely useless. Creating more and more problems.

 _"He doesn't have enough courage to tell her. And I don't think Gardevoir would say yes to him right away. Did you forget what happened when she came to our cave for the first time?"_ replied Pikachu.

Both of knew what Pikachu was implying. That experience scared Gardevoir of getting into these sort of things. If Riolu wants anything with her, he'll have to take it slowly. Before they could think about it more, Buizel with Ash and strange looking carp Pokemon were swimming their direction. A minute later Ash was on the land with Pikachu, Charizard, and Mewtwo. Buizel stayed in the water with newly discovered Pokemon.

"This is the one that was calling out to me guys." said Ash as he pointed at the beige fish in the water supported by Buizel.

The three remaining Pokemon were looking on the Pokemon with surprised looks. They thought that on this quest Ash would be catching strong Pokemon and making them even stronger. But this was a complete opposite of that. One of the weakest Pokemon and with a handicapped fin. Was this really the Pokemon that was calling out to Ash?

 _"That's... interesting."_ said Mewtwo to Ash telepathically as Pikachu with Charizard was just staring at the Pokemon.

"Is something wrong?" asked Ash his Pokemon.

 _"No of course not. We just thought that it would be someone stronger since we are going up against Team Rocket. We didn't except a disabled Feebas to be your next Pokemon."_ said Mewtwo to Ash.

"I don't care if he is strong or weak. He called out to me for help. I couldn't let him be there in this state. I'm going to make him as strong as my Charizard in no time. As I'll do with all of my other Pokemon." proclaimed Ash. And he really intended to do so. Ash knows that his team is imbalanced right now. That has to change. Some Pokemon he'll have to train harder than the others because of this. Now Feebas included. He needs every single one of them to be in top condition when the day D will come.

 _"OK, Ash. We understand. And it's a she, not he."_ said Mewtwo to Ash.

Ash chuckled and then smiled at Mewtwo. It seems like he knew from where he is coming from. Even Pikachu with Charizard smiled at him. Ash then turned back to Feebas and Buizel.

"Sorry for the kidnapping. My name is Ash and I think you were calling for help. Is that true?" asked Ash as he kneeled in the shallow water near the sandy beach to Feebas.

Feebas nodded to this. It was very hard for her to live like that. She was born with the small damaged fin and she learned to live with that to a certain extent. Her fin was keeping her down and she couldn't get stronger because of this. It was frustrating. She was sick of this. She wished that someone would help her from this. And then the help came to her in the form of this boy it seems.

"Well. I would like to add you to my team of Pokemon. I would train you to overcome your disability and make you stronger so we can do some good in this world together. What do you say?" asked Ash Feebas.

A trainer? When she hoped for help she thought that a Pokemon would help her. She didn't expect a trainer to hear and help her. Feebas isn't the most popular Pokemon catch from what she observed. Especially not the one with a disability. This trainer, however, seemed like the one who would help her achieved greatness. He asked her to join him after all. Feebas than took the offer and nodded her head once again.

"Great! I promise once we get back to our home I'll train you." said Ash. He then took one of the empty pokeballs from his belt he brought with him and tapped it on the Feebas's forehead. And just like this, Ash added another member to his family.

* * *

20 minutes went by and Ash and co were still at the pond. Mewtwo said that he'll get some food for them since lunchtime is coming. When Mewtwo teleported away Ash let out his Pokemon which consist of Pikachu, Charizard, Buizel, Riolu, Infernape, Sceptile and newly caught Feebas. Plus Mewtwo that wasn't here at the moment. Those six where training and trading blow near the pond releasing shockwaves through the forest with Feebas as spectator admiring the display of power before her. Pikachu vs. Charizard, Sceptile vs. Infernape, and Riolu vs. Buizel. Ash, on the other hand, was meditating in his now usual cloak with the grey scarf that covered his whole body. His skills were increasing constantly. It will take some time to perfect the meditation but it should be soon enough. He could even register that mark on his body now. It's just like Riolu said. Under his skin blue simple tribal mark. But it didn't serve a purpose as he was examining it. At least that's what he thought.

Ash wants to learn how to communicate with his Pokemon too. The link between him and Charizard was like a rollercoaster. Sometimes he can communicate with him sometime he can't, even if he wants to. With Riolu it is much easier since he is using Aura too and they have similar Aura. When he'll be able to communicate to all of his Pokemon through Aura link and understand their speech life will become much easier. As this was running through his head he was beginning to feel someone again. But this time they weren't the calls of need like the previous ones with Gardevoir and Feebas. _"Another one."_ thought Ash to himself as his eyes shot open and looked at the direction where the Pokemon was. It was in the forest behind the lake.

"Guys. I think I found another one." said Ash to his Pokemon. They immediately stopped their training and went to him.

"OK. Pikachu, Charizard, and Riolu. You'll go with me. Sceptile, Infernape, Buizel, and Feebas you stay here if Mewtwo'll come back. OK?" asked Ash his Pokemon. Everyone nodded and Ash with his Pokemon went inside the forest.

After a minute or two of walking the group stopped. When they heard the rustling in the bush everyone was on alert. After few seconds a Pokemon emerged from the bush. He walked casually out of the bush and gave the group uninterested look. Then he resumed walking in the other direction of Ash and his Pokemon.

"Guys. That's him." said Ash to his companions as he felt a slight connection to the Pokemon again. As soon as he said this Riolu launched himself at the Pokemon with Aura Sphere at hand. But the Pokemon casually leaned himself on the right side and Riolu missed. He then turned to Ash and his Pokemon again. Riolu immediately after he missed jumped in front of Ash and was ready to fight. Pikachu and Charizard got into their fighting stances too. _"Guess we'll have to do it this way. Thanks, Riolu."_ thought Ash to himself.

"OK Riolu. It looks like this will be our first match. Pikachu and Charizard don't intervene OK?" said Ash to his Pokemon as the two powerhouses in his team nodded. And with that a match between Riolu and Toxicroak began

Toxicroak's lazy attitude was gone and he launched himself at Riolu with his purple glowing claw on hand.

"Riolu dodge!" yelled Ash at his Pokemon.

Riolu immediately jumped out of the way. He was now above Toxicroak. But Toxicroak began doing his next move. Purple sludge was forming around him. It looked like he was in a blob. Suddenly part of this sludge was shot right at Riolu like a tentacle. Riolu and Ash were both too slow to realize what was going on and Toxicroak trapped Riolu in his Sludge Wave damaging the Emanation Pokemon.

"Riolu don't let it throw you off. Use Aura Sphere!" yelled Ash at his Pokemon.

Riolu landed on the ground with his eyes closed trying to prevent the sludge reaching his eyes. Riolu then located Toxicroak with his Aura sensing ability and used an Aura Sphere in that direction. It hit Toxicroak right in the head. But it didn't do much of a damage to him. But at least the Sludge Wave was interrupted.

"Riolu. Use Blaze Kick!" yelled Ash at Riolu.

Riolu jumped in the air and was prepared to slam his leg onto Toxicroak. But he was too slow. Toxicroak jumped and with Low Sweep attack, he slammed his own leg onto Riolu's stomach sending him to the ground.

 _"This Toxicroak is much stronger than I anticipated"_ thought Ash to himself. _"Let's try this through Aura Link."_ thought Ash as he an Riolu reached out to another and were able to communicate through Aura.

 _"How are you holding up?"_ asked Ash Riolu via Aura Link.

 _"I'm just getting started."_ replied Riolu.

 _"Great thing to hear. Now Use Shadow Claw!"_ said Ash to Riolu.

Riolu slammed his paw into the ground and a Shadow Claw was now heading towards Toxicroak. Toxicroak confused by the lack of trainer's commands didn't expect this and was hit right in the chest. Toxicroak shook it off and immediately after this. Toxicroak was surrounded by the purple sludge again ready to attack with another Sludge Wave.

 _"Riolu dodge and use Blaze Kick!"_ said Ash to Riolu via their link.

Riolu jumped out way successfully dodging the sludge tentacle. But he didn't just jump mindlessly away. No. He jumped to Toxicroak and slammed his fire leg into him through his purple sludge blob around him sending Toxicroak to the ground. Finally, it looked like it did something to Toxicroak. But the battle was far from over.

Toxicroak got up and got his Poison Jab ready. Then he launched himself onto Riolu.

 _"Dodge Riolu!"_ yelled Ash through the link.

Riolu successfully dodged the jab when he jumped out of the way to the right. But ten Toxicroak's whole fist then turned black and Toxicroak turned around and punched Riolu right in the stomach with powerful Sucker Punch sending him to the across the field. Riolu now greatly damaged managed to get up. But it hurt like hell.

 _"Let 's finish this. I have an idea."_ said Ash to Riolu.

 _"Great. What should I do?"_ asked panting Riolu. Tired from the match already.

 _"OK. Use Aura Sphere!"_ yelled Ash.

Riolu then charged Aura Sphere between his hands and threw it at Toxicroak. Toxicroak anticipated and dodged the Sphere and run right at Riolu with his Sucker Punch ready.

 _"Riolu. Use Blaze Kick!"_ yelled Ash to his aura trainer still through the link.

Riolu then runs against Toxicroak with his leg on fire. When they were near each other Riolu slammed his leg onto Toxicroaks fist resulting in an explosion from this collision. Smoke covered the two battling Pokemon.

 _"Riolu. Use FORCE PALM!"_ said Ash. This was his trump card against any Pokemon battling against Riolu.

The collision didn't make much damage to either of them. But Riolu was now in great advantage. He could see where Toxicroak was. Toxicroak couldn't. When Riolu find where Toxicroak was. He jumped in the air doing a spin and from above and placed his palm on top of Toxicroaks head. Riolu then charged the energy into his palm and shooting it straight into Toxicroaks face pummeling him into the ground.

When the smoke cleared it revealed a still standing Riolu. But Toxicroak was getting up again from a small crater that was created beneath him.

 _"Riolu end this before he can get up. Use Aura Sphere one last time!"_ said Ash his last command via the Aura Link.

And Riolu did as Ash told so. He threw one last Aura Sphere and since Toxicroak was already on his last legs, he managed to hit him. This finally knocked Toxicroak down.

"Great job buddy." said Ash to Riolu normally. Ash then unclipped another empty Pokeball from his belt and threw it at Toxicroak. One ding. Second ding. Third ding. Ash caught him.

Riolu sat on the ground after the long match panting with exhaustion. He did it. He won his first battle with Ash. Ash then ran to his friend to look how is he doing.

 _"Well. Well. Well. That squirt sure has a potential."_ said Charizard to Pikachu as both of them were looking at their tired comrade.

 _"It's a Riolu who can use Aura Sphere. What did you expect?"_ said Pikachu to his orange friend.

 _"That he would get beaten up badly."_ said Charizard.

Pikachu sighed at this. Charizard is acting a little differently from the time they are in the cave. He knew why of course. But it would be great if he would be hopeful again. Charizard always believed in Ash's other Pokemon. Well not always exactly. Since their adventure on the Orange Islands. But still. He is a lot more pessimistic nowadays.

 _"Will you help me with him and Gardevoir at least?"_ asked Pikachu again.

 _"... Sure why not. But I don't know how. I already told you how I got a mate."_ said Charizard. If he has to live in a cave for three years, he has to keep himself entertained. This seemed like a decent option. He could train non stop but that what would remind him of the Valley to much. He'll take it easy here. And hopefully get two Pokemon together.

 _"Great! Now let's go and congratulate him on his first win."_ said Pikachu. And both of them went to the Riolu and congratulate him on his first win at Ash's side.

"You did a really magnificent job on your first battle Riolu. Take a good rest. Gardevoir'll take care of you when we'll come back into the cave." said Ash to Riolu.

Riolu blushed at Ash's words. Not because of his compliments. But the thought of Gardevoir taking care of him sounds very appealing.

 _"You cheeky bastard. That's why you jumped on that Toxicroak and provoke the fight didn't you?"_ thought Pikachu to himself as he was looking at blushing Riolu. _"Smart move, Riolu... Smart move..."_ thought Pikachu to himself.

Ash then recalled Riolu and with his two remaining Pokemon, they headed back to the pond where Mewtwo'll meet them with a fresh food. Hopefully.

After another 20 minutes, Mewtwo brought lunch and discovered that Ash caught another Pokemon. But since he was tired from the fight against Riolu he didn't see him at the lunch. Neither he saw Riolu at the lunch who fought against that Toxicroak. After the lunch which consisted of Pokemon food for Pokemon and some sandwiches for Ash, they were headed back to the cave to let Toxicroak and Riolu healed and rest for a bit. Ash returned his Pokemon except for Charizard, Pikachu, and Mewtwo. Then Ash with Pikachu hoped on Charizard's back and took off with Mewtwo besides them leaving the forest behind them.

* * *

"Are you still cold from the trip to the Snowpoint City?" asked Ash Charizard teasingly. Poor Charizard. First, he had to fight through a blizzard at the Mount Coronet when they exited their cave. Mewtwo lifted the boulder blocking the exit with Psychic and the blizzard raging outside hit Charizard straight into the face. But they managed to get off the cave and Mewtwo managed to close the entrance again with a boulder. And right after that, they headed to the coldest place in Sinnoh besides the Mount Coronet. Charizard was shivering for almost an hour when they exited that frozen region in Sinnoh.

"Rarrr." growled angry Charizard at Ash

Ash just giggled at Charizard's behavior. He wants him to relax a little. He has become way too serious for his own good. The group was nearing Jubilife City on their way back to the mountain. That's where Ash again heard some calling out to him. _"Are you kidding me? We were all around the Sinnoh and during the last hour they began to finally appear?"_ thought Ash.

"Guys. I have both good and bad news. Which one would you like to hear first." said Ash to his Pokemon in the air.

 _"Let's start with the good one."_ said Mewtwo answering for the other two Pokemon too.

"I think I found another one" said Ash to them.

 _"Great. And the bad one?"_ said Mewtwo to Ash.

"It's right in the city." said Ash to his flying crew.

 _"So. What now?"_ asked Mewtwo. Bringing Ash to a city could bring many troubles. If someone took off his hood even by an accident, their mission would go downhill pretty fast.

"Well. I can't just leave that Pokemon there. You should stay here in the air Mewtwo. I'll try to get this over with as soon as I can." said Ash to Mewtwo.

 _"Ash this is incredibly dangerous. If your hood will fall off everyone will recognize you. You are still all over the newspapers. I think we should leave."_ said Mewtwo to Ash.

"Mewtwo. You told me to always follow my gut and it'll be good. And my gut tells me to go there and find this Pokemon." said Ash back.

 _"... Just be careful Ash."_ said Mewtwo back.

"Don't worry. I'll be back right away." said Ash. "Pikachu go under the cloak. We don't want people to suspect a thing." said Ash to Pikachu. Pikachu did as Ash said and he was under his cloak.

"Okay. Charizard fly to that area of a city. The Pokemon should be somewhere around there." said Ash as he pointed to the north part of the city where the contest hall was located.

Around the contest hall were several Pokemon trainers training with their Pokemon in the training fields. When suddenly a big Charizard landed there. On top of the said dragon was someone in dark green cloak. Immediately when he landed he recalled his Charizard. He looked around himself. Like he was looking for something. And in the next instance, he disappeared as he walked into the city. Most of the trainers registered only the size of that Charizard. He was enormous for Charizard standards. But nobody gave it much of a thought.

Ash was now in dark alley in Jubilife city. He was slowly walking through this alley not to miss the Pokemon. That Pokemon is somewhere around here. He could feel it. And then out of nowhere, Luxio jumped from behind a trash can and tackled Ash down. Thankfully his hood stood in place. Luxio was now standing right in front of Ash. Ash slowly got up and looked at Luxio. _"So it's you."_ thought Ash. Ash knew he has to make it quick. And this Luxio doesn't look so strong. So he looked around and when he found out that the coast is clear he quietly whispered to his shoulder.

"Pikachu. Use few Quick Attacks and end it quickly. We don't want to stay here longer than it's necessary."

Yellow blur then shot from Ash's cloak and hit Luxio. It hurt her but she was still standing. It took another 3 Quick Attacks to bring her down. She was still conscious but tired as hell. _"W...What is this? T...This isn't a Pokemon. It's a monster."_ thought Luxio as she was standing on her last legs. Luxio thought that she could take this guy out and hopefully steal some food from him since she doesn't have any. But this? That Pikachu wiped the floor with her in a matter of seconds.

Ash then took a pokeball from his belt and threw it at Luxio. But to his surprise, Luxio got out. Pikachu was now in front of Ash and was looking at his trainer. Ash nodded. Pikachu then used Quick Attack for the last time and hit Luxio directly into the head. Ash threw the pokeball again. And this time he was finally successful. _"Sorry for this Luxio."_ apologized Ash to Luxio for the beating. Pikachu then jumped back under the cloak and they were ready to get out of this place.

Ash then went back to the Contest hall training fields. Many eyes were glued to him. But he then recognized someone in the crowd. The red-haired coordinator that was rival to Dawn training with her Glameow. When Ash saw her he panicked a little. This is a person who could identify him in seconds if he won't be careful.

Zoey then stopped her training for a moment and looked at the mysterious figure trying to find out why everyone was looking in that direction. She examined the cloaked figure and got a vibe that she knew that person. So she decided to walk to him and try to find out who it was. But before she could reach him he released a gigantic Charizard and flew away.

 _"She just had to be there didn't she."_ thought Ash as he was nearing the spot in the sky where Mewtwo should be waiting. When they met up with Mewtwo, he told him everything and they were finally headed back to their new home.

* * *

"Everything here is worthless." mumbled Ash to himself. He was now finally running through his backpack in the cave. It was late evening when they came back from their journey throughout the Sinnoh region. Inside Ash's bag was an empty bottle of water, rotten sandwiches. _"Ou look a sleeping bag. I completely forgot about."_ thought Ash. This bag was a welcomed and very useful surprise. And there then was his clothes. He can use them inside the cave at least. Okay, not everything was worthless. However, in the pile of Ash's clothes, Ash found a small flat blue box. He immediately remembered what is inside.

 _Flashback_

 _"You must be Ash Ketchum. Pleased to meet you. I'm Steven. Champion of Hoenn." said Steven as he introduced himself. He wore his usual suit pants and boots. Looking classy as ever._

 _"P.. Pleasure is all mine Steven." said Ash to him. He was so nervous. He felt like a kid again meeting a Champion that he never met. He could scratch this off his bucket list. Meet the Hoenn Champion. Check. When Ash and Lucas arrived in the Celestic Town with the helicopter Steven was already at the landing place, on the roof of the Pokemon Center._

 _"Let's get right onto the topic at hand." said Steven as he pulled out a blue box from his suit._

 _"I don't have to tell you what to do with it and when to return it do I?" asked Steven. He discussed this with Cynthia to the tiniest details._

 _"Yes. I'll get it back to you by the end of the week. I promise." said Ash._

 _Flashback End_

 _"This time I said I promise. How'll I get out of this one when I come back?"_ thought Ash to himself.

Ash then looked at the box. What to do with it? He can't deliver it back to Steven or even Cynthia. It'll have to wait. _"I bet that the post would deliver it sooner. Maybe it would take a year, but definitely not 3."_ thought Ash to himself again. He then opened the box. And as Cynthia said. It was a tusk on the leather necklace. For thousands of year old necklace, it was in a great condition. He took it in the hand and examined it. Nothing special from what he can tell. Tusk and old leather necklace. " _You have interesting hobbies Cynthia."_ thought Ash. But as soon as he thought about Cynthia, her naked image appeared in front of him. Startled by his own thoughts Ash then quickly put the necklace back inside the box and left it near the fireplace. He then went to meditate to try to forget about naked Cynthia. But Ash hadn't realized that deep down, he doesn't want to forget a single inch of Cynthia's naked body.

As Ash was going through his stuff Ash's Pokemon were all over the place doing different stuff. Some trained, some were sleeping, some were just chatting with each other. But right now the most important thing that was happening was with Gardevoir. She already healed Toxicroak with Heal Pulse when they came back around a half hour ago. Toxicroak then just got up and walked around the cave with a releasing few croaks along the way. He then found a place next to Snorlax where he lied down and fell asleep.

Kingler was enjoying the display of Gardevoir's healing abilities too. She was really talented in this department. But then he then looked back and saw lonely Feebas in their cave pond. He then went to the Feebas in the pond trying to make a new friend, since everyone was ignoring her. Kingler was now in front of her looking at her. It was the look of a creep. He isn't very good at making friends unfortunately. But thanks to Ash he has some at least. Even though nobody really talks to him. They are forgetting him most of the time. When Feebas registered Kingler she was a little spooked out by the look he gave her.

 _"Hi."_ said Kingler to the fish Pokemon

 _"H... Hi."_ said startled Feebas back. After this a dead silence followed. Kingler didn't thought this through it seems.

 _"Uhmm... So... What are you doing here?_ " asked Feebas trying to break the uncomfortable silence between the two water Pokemon.

 _"Hnnn. Ou. Yeah. I just thought that you were a little lonely here. So I thought that you would like a company. And become friends? Maybe?"_ said Kingler as he went inside the pond.

 _"F...Friend?"_ asked Feebas. That would be probably the only friend she would ever get. Nobody wanted to be associated with a crippled Pokemon in her previous pond.

 _"Yes? Ou. Ok. I get it. I'll be on my way."_ said Kingler as he was getting ready to go out of the pond. He was used to this. He could be weird sometimes. He knew that. So he isn't surprised when someone doesn't want to be in his company.

 _"NO! No. No. It's not like that. It's just... I never had ... friends."_ yelled Feebas to Kingler.

 _"Ou. I'm sorry."_ said Kingler as he was still getting out of the water.

 _"I... I want to be your friend... Please?"_ pleaded sad Feebas.

 _"Ou. OK. Then we are friends!"_ said Kingler as he swimmed excitedly to Feebas once again.

 _"So. How long you're with... Ash was his name right? Our trainer."_ said Feebas.

 _"Ou Yes Ash. Hmm...Well it's 1124 years already."_ said Kingler to Feebas.

 _"Kingler. That's a little overboard don't you think. 1124 YEARS?"_ said Feebas as she laughed a little at this.

 _"What. I didn't said years. I said days. Wait. Did I said years?"_ said Kingler as he rubbed his orange spiky head with his pincer.

And just like that Feebas found the first friend ever. They were talking about Ash and Kingler mostly. Kingler tried to ask Feebas about her life, but his question were weird most of the time or just a little dumb. Those type of questions made Feebas laugh a little. Kingler didn't mind. He is just glad that his stupidity can make at least someone laugh.

* * *

Meanwhile, with everyone else, Gardevoir was now finishing patching up Luxio. Luxio herself was watching Pikachu during the healing process the whole time. He was just casually talking to Totodile and Corphish like nothing happened. He humiliated her with that defeat and now he was acting like nothing happened. How could he be so strong? That just doesn't make sense to her. She doesn't like losing. That's not her style. And definitely not losing like this.

 _"Okay, Luxio. You should be fine by now. You can go."_ said Gardevoir to Luxio.

 _"Thank you for healing me."_ thanked Luxio. She then got up and slowly made her way to the Pikachu's group with her eyes still locked on the yellow mouse Pokemon.

 _"...and then Charizard threw a small log on Ash and he fell into the cold water face first."_ said Pikachu to his two water Pokemon friends. Both of them began laughing hysterically and Pikachu chuckled too as he was telling them the story. These two weren't hard to impress with stories.

 _"Hey, Luxio. How are you holding up? You okay now?"_ asked Pikachu when he realized that Luxio was behind him.

 _"Y...Yes. I'm fine now."_ said Luxio to the yellow rodent. He was surprisingly friendly. When you consider the beating she received from him it was surprising this attitude of his.

 _"Glad to hear that."_ said Pikachu. He then scratched the back of his head sheepishly before continuing.

 _"I... I want to apologize for what I did earlier. We were in hurry to get back here and I got carried away a little. I know that doesn't really justify what I've done but still... I am sorry."_ said nervous Pikachu to Luxio. He went a little overboard with that battle.

 _"I... It's OK. But. How did you do that? I... I didn't even see you. You were so fast. I was so... helpless. Could... Could you teach something like that?"_ asked Luxio. She doesn't want to be humiliated like this ever again.

 _"W...Well. I don't have a problem with that. I could teach you a few tricks. But that depends on Ash too."_ replied Pikachu. He didn't except Luxio to want to train with him after what he did to her. But somehow she wanted.

 _"Ash? Who is Ash?"_ asked Luxio.

 _"You don't know him? He is our glorious trainer of course."_ replied Totodile cheerfully who finally stopped laughing with Corphish. Pikachu, Corpfish, and Totodile then told everything Luxio needed to know about Ash, his quest, and all that jazz. After absorbing so many and crazy information, Luxio went to process her thoughts and lied next to the big fireplace in the middle of the grassy cave.

 _"Pikachu. Pikachu. Pikachu..."_ said Corphish to his yellow friend.

 _"What?"_ asked hesitantly Pikachu as he broke away his gaze from Luxio and looked back at Corpfish.

 _"I think that you two are going to be much more than training buddies."_ teased Corphish. He then winked at Pikachu.

 _"Oh shut up Corpfish."_ said Pikachu as he left Totodile and Corphish there alone.

 _"More than training buddies?"_ asked clueless Totodile when Pikachu left.

Pikachu didn't take what Corpfish said seriously. He knows that having a mate isn't really for him. He has to keep an eye on those 3 horny idiots and Ash already. Too many responsibilities. And he isn't looking for something like that. At least not right now. But who knows. Maybe in the future. But then he spotted a Pokemon that does look for love. He ran to him as soon as he saw him.

 _"I have to say. I'm impressed. You took a beating like that just to get close to her. Really smart."_ said Pikachu to the sore and beat up Riolu who was sitting there watching Gardevoir preparing herself for another injured Pokemon.

 _"I..."_ Riolu tried to deny it but then just sighed instead. He just sees through everything. _"How do you know all of this?"_ asked Riolu.

 _"I know you for some time Riolu. You would never just jump on Toxicroak without a reason. I had to just put two and two together and it was clear as day."_ replied Pikachu to him.

 _"Is it worth it though?"_ asked curious Pikachu. He knew his answer already. But what exactly he'll say that is what Pikachu is interested in.

 _"I would take a beating from this whole cave and it would still be worth it."_ replied Riolu looking at Gardevoir the whole time. Pikachu was just smiling from ear to ear. That's the answer he was hoping for.

 _"Is there anyone else who needs to be healed?"_ asked Gardevoir in her soft voice the group in front of her. Riolu wanted to go but he hesitated. He just couldn't bring himself to go there for whatever reason his head was telling him. How is he going to talk to her during this? Won't he just make matters much worse? Thankfully for him, Pikachu saw this from a mile away.

 _"Don't worry Romeo. Your wingman Pikachu is here to help."_ thought Pikachu. He then began pushing Riolu to Gardevoir. And before Riolu could protest he was in front of her.

 _"Riolu took a pretty bad beating from Toxicroak as you can see. Please, take good care of him."_ pleaded Pikachu the Gardevoir when he managed to push Riolu to her.

 _"I... I'm fine. R... Really."_ said Riolu. He now realized the horrifying truth. He didn't think this through at all.

 _"I don't think so. And I bet Gardevoir thinks the same as I do. Am I right?"_ said Pikachu.

 _"Of course I do think the same. God Riolu. Just look at yourself! You have bruises all over you. You need to be healed as soon as possible! And you may be poisoned from Toxicroak too! Lie down on Ash's towel and let me take care of the rest."_ said Gardevoir in a slightly harsher tone. Riolu then saw that he couldn't escape this. So he lied down and let Gardevoir do her job.

Riolu was now in panic mode. He should just stay away from the Toxicroak. Okay. Calm down. Calm down. He can work it out somehow. Okay. Just remember what Pikachu told him about Gardevoir before they left. Unfortunately, he caught only one thing from Pikachu before they left on their search for Pokemon. _"OK. OK. OK. I can do this. Remember what Pikachu said. Tell her that you respect that she isn't a fighter and it'll work out fine. It'll be okay. It'll be okay. Baby steps. Baby steps"_ repeated Riolu to himself over and over again. As Gardevoir was using her Heal Pulse through her hands, she asked Riolu.

 _"Does it hurt? If so just tell me. Okay?"_ asked Gardevoir Riolu.

 _"I'm in agony."_ thought blushing Riolu. Of course, he wasn't in physical pain. Or he at least didn't feel it. But the other kind of pain. Phew. That was a different story. _"I... It's OK. You are doing great G...Gardevoir."_ replied stuttering Riolu to Gardevoir. He just lied. Well. Technically he didn't. The bruises she is healing doesn't hurt. So he is still keeping his honor. At least he hopes it works like this. But the fact that she had her hands all over him didn't help him to calm down. Quite the opposite. He was panicking more and more. Okay. Deep breaths. Deep breaths. Time to try to give her some compliment.

 _"Uhmmm... You are really good at this. You know that?"_ said Riolu to her. That could be a decent start. At least he hopes so. He doesn't have a clue what he's doing after all.

 _"T...Thank you. But I... I'm nothing special. I can't attack and a lot of Pokemon can heal others."_ replied surprised Gardevoir. She was caught off guard by Riolu complementing her. Riolu often spent his time with Ash and wasn't very talkative from what she saw. It warmed her heart that there was another guy who thought that she isn't completely useless.

 _"W... Well. A lot of Pokemons can attack too. There is nothing special about them too. And... You are healing me now. You are pretty special to me right now."_ replied Riolu. His logical mind was completely shut off now. He just said what was on his mind first. Which was unusual for him. He hoped that he didn't mess it up with her by this.

 _"I...I... Thank you... Riolu."_ replied blushing and stuttering Gardevoir. This was just so nice to hear. She couldn't tell him anything else then simple thanks. She was speechless. This duo than just fell into a complete and awkward silence.

 _"And you said he'll need our help. Look at him. That was smooth as fuck. He's natural at this. I'm 100% sure that the tables will turn and we'll need his advice about females in the near future."_ said Charizard to Pikachu.

 _"In the future? I'm already taking notes just in case."_ said Pikachu to Charizard. If Pikachu will ever want to find significant other, he already knows who'll be helping him with that.

After minutes of awkward silence, Riolu was finally healed.

 _"Y...You can go now. You are fully healed."_ said Gardevoir with a cute stutter in the beginning.

 _"T..Thank you. You are a magnificent healer."_ said blushing Riolu as he bowed out of respect and made his way back to Pikachu as fast as he could. He thought that he totally screwed it up. She wasn't talking to him since he said his second sentence. Not a good sign. But if he would look behind he would see stunned, embarrassed, blushing and most importantly happy Gardevoir standing there like a statue.

 _"P...Pikachu, Charizard. I... I think I ruined it. W... What did I do wrong? How can I make it right? Will you help me?"_ asked Riolu his friends frantically when he made it to them.

 _"Man. You are so dumb it actually impress me how much. Sit down kiddo. I'm going to teach you few things about females."_ said Charizard. That's the biggest idiot Charizard has ever seen. Then Charizard and Pikachu gave Riolu lecture about his supposed "failure" with Gardevoir.

* * *

 **Two days later**

"Pika pika pikachu pi pi pikapi." said Pikachu to Ash.

Ash flew all around Sinnoh region one more time but he didn't find any Pokemon with his connection yesterday. So today they took the trip to Hoenn region to find some new Pokemon. And when they entered Hoenn Region Ash, in his stealthy outfit, felt the connection immediately. The bad news was it was coming from the spooky castle. So our heroes were now in the depths of the ruins looking for some Pokemon with Ash holding out a lighten torch that he found outside of the castle. Insides of the castle was as they excepted. Cobblestone and moss everywhere. The old wooden door which slowly rott. And millions of halls in every direction. This all caused Pikachu to be anxious and he said to Ash in his pokespeech that he wants to get out of this place already.

"Hang in there Pikachu. He's near." said Ash.

As soon as these words left his mouth a Shadow Ball was shot on them. Thankfully Mewtwo, hidden in his cloak, destroyed it before it could reach them. Ash then turned to the direction where the Shadow Ball came from. He saw a small purple Pokemon who was smiling from ear to ear and laughing hysterically. This Pokemon then got up and threw another Shadow Ball at them. This time Pikachu destroyed it with Iron Tail.

"Guys. Let this guy handle it. I haven't used him for battle in a while." said Ash as he unclipped a pokeball from his belt. Mewtwo and Pikachu nodded and let Ash have another battle.

"Gible. I choose you." said Ash quietly. When Ash released his Gible Ash's shark Pokemon bite Ash's head. He hadn't done it in a while so he was enjoying it very much.

"Come on Gible. Not now!" yelled Ash as Gible was chewing his head in the hood. Gible, fortunately, listened to Ash and let go of his head after a minute. But as soon as he landed he was hit by Shadow Ball from his opponent.

"Come on! That's just wrong!" said Ash to the Pokemon.

"Hihihi" laughed Sableye back at Ash and Gible.

"Gible of and use Dragon Pulse!" said Ash.

And as Ash said, Gible formed a blueish, greenish ball and shot it at Sableye. But Sableye used Shadow Ball again and countered Gible's attack.

"Gible. Use Dig!" said Ash.

Gible then disappeared under the ground destroying the cobblestone floor. However, Sableye didn't just stand there. No. His diamond eyes glowed in light green color. When Gible attacked from bellow Sableye dodged the attack with ease. And right after that Sableye's gem on his chest glowed and shot a powerful beam of energy at the Gible sanding him across the hall in the ruins.

"What happened?" asked Ash. He had a suspicion. But he wasn't sure if it's right.

"Sableye used Detect and dodged Gible's Dig. Then he used a move called Power Gem that charges the gem in his chest and shoots a powerful blast of energy." explained Mewtwo to Ash.

Gible got up again thankfully. But he has been beaten up pretty badly already. Another attack and he's down. And he had could use only 2 moves. If Gible would use Dragon Meteor than this whole place could collapse. And Rock Smash would have no effect against Sableye. Maybe Ash should choose another Pokemon.

"Gible!" roared Gible showing Ash that he isn't going down that easily.

"Okay, buddy. Let's win this! Use Dragon Pulse!" said Ash.

But unfortunately for Ash and Gible, Sableye used Power Gem. This attack overpowered the Dragon Pulse and hit Power Gem hit its target. Gible was now down breathing heavily. He was still conscious at least. Gible slowly got up back on its feet with all the power he was left with. Gible saw as Sableye formed another Shadow Ball and threw it at him. "Not like this!" thought Gible to himself. Gible then faces the attack head-on. He was stopping the Shadow Ball with his own body but energy thanks to which he still stood was leaving him. Then with one last roar, something amazing happened. Gible started to glow in a bright white color. He was evolving. It took a few seconds but the Shadow Ball that collided with Gible disappeared and then a new Pokemon stood at the place where Gible stood just seconds before this.

"Awesome Gible you evolved!" said Ash.

Immediately after his evolution, newly evolved Gabite ran to the Sableye with his claw shining in a bright white color. And during his run, the claw doubled it's size too. When Gabite made it to Sableye he tried to hit Sableye, but Sableye was using Detect again. It took some time but Sableye's detect finally came to an end and Gabite smashed his claw to Sableye's chest. But the attack never connected with Sableye's body. It went straight through Sableye

Most people would be glad for Gabite to learn a new attack. But right now it wasn't what he wanted. He had 2 attacks which he could use and now he has only one. Rock Smash and Slash won't do anything and Draco Meteor would destroy this place. This will truly test his limits as a Pokemon Trainer. Win a battle with using only one move is nearly impossible.

"Dig!" yelled Ash.

Gabite then immediately disappeared under the ground again. After dodging Gabite for so long with Detect, Sableye wasn't able to use it again right away. And thankfully Gabite was fast enough to perform Dig attack and landing a hit on Sableye.

"Dig again!" yelled Ash.

This time Sableye was prepared. When Gabite attacked Sableye from the underground he again dodged it and was charging his Power Gem attack.

"Gabite, use Slash to protect yourself from the Power Gem then use Dig!" said Ash.

And this time Sableye's Power Gem didn't work. Gabite set his claws with Slash attack directly against the Power Gem attack and all of the gem's energy was dispersed in multiple directions. When the attack ended Gabite disappeared into the ground leaving a hole behind. When Sableye finished his Power Gem attack he looked around only to find nothing. He looked at the hole in front of him and wanted to use Detect again. But it was too late. Gabite jumped from the ground and attacked surprised Sableye. However, Sableye didn't give up and got a hold of the ground dragon. Holding Gabite in place Sableye summoned several small blue flames that were circling around Sableye. And before Gabite could react these rotating flames were released on him throwing him back. _"Damn. This Sableye is really annoying."_ thought Ash. And as Ash was thinking about this, Sableye charged another set of Will-O-Wisps and shot it at Gabite. Thankfully, Ash just got a brilliant idea.

"Gabite use Spin Slash combination!" said Ash. Hopefully, it'll work. He never did this before with Gible. And how could he? Gabite learned Slash a few minutes ago!

Gabite hesitated at first, but in the end, he listened to his trainer. He jumped directly into the Will-O-Wisp attack and start spinning. With his white glowing claws in front of him, he looked like a drill in this form. And he worked like a drill too. He has torn through the Will-O-Wisp and was surrounded by blue flames of the attack themselves. Sableye only looked at the terrifying attack heading to him and tried to use Detect. But even when he dodged the Slash attack, he was still hit by the Will-O-Wisp that was surrounding Gabite.

"Now Gabite. Finish it up with one last Dig!" said Ash to Gabite trying to take the opportunity when Sableye was off balance. With the empowerment by the Slash/spin combo, Gabite drilled a hole in the ground so fast that in the mere second later he was out, still enveloped by the Will-O-Wisp attack and hit Sableye before Sableye could muster what is going on. _"This is it."_ thought Ash. He unclipped an empty pokeball from his belt and threw it at Sableye. It wasn't a surprise that Sableye didn't come out. He should be completely drained. And just like this Ash caught another Pokemon to his family.

"Gabite you were great!" said Ash as he ran to his Pokemon congratulating him on evolving and thanking him for the great battle he participated in.

 _"Great. Now let's get out of this place. It creeps me to no end."_ thought Pikachu.

* * *

"Mewtwo? I was wondering. How will we know that we have all the Pokemon we need? Did Arceus tell you something about that?" asked Ash. The usual group was now high in the skies of the Hoenn Region again when Ash asked the question.

"No, he didn't unfortunately. I guess we'll have to take a guess. It'll be similar to what we did in Sinnoh in my opinion. When you won't feel any connections we'll move to another region." said Mewtwo through telepathy.

"I hope you are right..." said Ash back.

They were in the skies for about an hour. They were now above the beautiful flower field shining with all the colors you could imagine. It was one of the prettiest places Ash has ever seen. And right on that field, Ash felt something again. It didn't feel like calls. More like roars. Roars of anger. And it was much stronger than the previous connections he had before.

"Charizard. Land in the flower field below us, please." said Ash.

 _"Another one?"_ asked Mewtwo.

"Yes." replied Ash.

As Charizard was slowly descending to the field they found out that the field was full of grass and bug type Pokemon who were enjoying another warm day in Hoenn region. Every single one of them was enjoying their time there. But when Charizard landed it scared some of the smaller Pokemon there. It isn't every day you see Charizard this big.

Ash hopped of Charizard with Pikachu and headed to the direction where Ash felt the Pokemon. As they were walking there were less and less Pokemon around them. When they reached a small elevated hill that overlooked the flower field not a single Pokemon was in the close area.

"So this is the reason why no one is in this area." said Ash as he looked down slightly from the hill. Clashes and explosions were heard from this place as two Pokemon were fighting against each other. And both Pokemon looked tired as hell. And injured too. And not just regular injuries. Bruises and scratches were all over their bodies. Some of the scratches leaked even blood. Their legs were shaking but both of them still attacked each other. It seemed like a battle to death. Ash now got a picture what was going on. It wasn't just one Pokemon calling out to him. They were two. Those two.

"Charizard. Stop them before they'll kill themselves like this." said Ash sadly to Charizard. He would ask Mewtwo, but his attacks wouldn't work. Both of those Pokemon are Dark type Pokemon. Absol and Weavile to be exact. And so Charizard flew there and landed right between them when both of them used Night Slash. Charizard caught Weavile's purple claws and Absol's purple horn with each of his hand before they could clash. Slowly the purple glow disappeared.

 _"OK kids. What's going on?"_ asked Charizard.

 _"I'm not a kid! And let me go so I can kick some ass!"_ yelled angry Weavile as she was struggling against Charizards grip. And since she was tired and had her hands both in Charizards grip, there was nothing she could do to free herself. The fact that Charizard was holding her in the air didn't help either.

 _"Pfff. You wish. I would have pummeled you into the ground if this motherfucker didn't intervene!"_ replied even angrier Absol. She too was struggling against Charizard's grip but to no avail. He held her in the ait by her horn with a painful grip.

 _"Watch your tongues you two and ANSWER MY QUESTION! I WON'T ASK TWICE!"_ roared Charizard to intimidate those two loutish Pokemon. If someone else called him motherfucker they would regret the day they were born. But since both of them are in this poor state, he'll let it slide. He isn't a bully after all. And the intimidation worked. At least a little.

 _"Simple. I claim that I'm the strongest on this field and that four-legged bitch claims that I'm not. Long story short, fight emerged. Now LET US GO SO WE CAN FINISH THIS!"_ yelled Weavile as she was struggling against Charizards grip once again.

 _"How did you call me? Say that again I DARE YOU! ONCE YOU SAY IT AGAIN I'LL RIP YOU TO PIECES YOU STUPID FEATHERHEAD AND I SWEAR THAT TO ARCEUS HIMSELF!"_ yelled Absol at Weavile as she was struggling against Charizard grip too. But in the end it was pointless. Charizards just tighten the grip.

 _"SHUT UP! BOTH OF YOU!"_ roared Charizard stopping Weavile in her response. This roar was much bigger than the last one. It could be heard miles away from the field and it scarred dozens of smaller Pokemon in the area.

"I should have send you Pikachu. Everybody'll know we are here if it'll continue like this..." said Ash as he was looking at the exchanges between those 3 Pokemon.

"Pikaaaaaa..." answered Pikachu to Ash. He really should used him instead of the overgrown lizard.

 _"Great now that it's quiet here let's settle some things. First of all, about the battle. If you guys want to measure who has a bigger dick then I am clearly the winner."_ said Charizard. But before he could resume his lecture Absol interrupted him.

 _"We are females you idiot!"_ yelled Absol.

 _"Exactly my point. So shut up and listen."_ said Charizard to both of them.

 _"Second of all. If I wouldn't stopped this both of you would have died here. So. What do we say to a guy who saved your life?"_ asked Charizard the two Pokemon in his hand.

 _"Moron."_ said Weavile.

 _"Dickhead."_ said Absol.

 _"Ok. I ran out of patience. Let's take a trip ladies shall we?"_ asked Charizard with evil grin. Both females look at him confused. Charizard then spread his mighty orange/blue wings and with a few flaps he was high in the air still holding Weavile and Absol in his hands.

 _"What is he doing Ash?"_ asked Mewtwo.

"I have an idea. Just watch and enjoy the show. You'll find out in a moment." said Ash back as he was looking at the area Charizard flew in.

 _"I am going to ask one last time. What do we say to a guy who saved your life?"_ asked Charizard as he was flapping his wings high in the air.

Both dark type Pokemon were still confused by Charizard's actions. He just took them in the air in mere seconds. They were at least one whole kilometer above the ground. That was incredibly fast! Slowly the confusion transformed into fear. They were never this high in the skies. And when you are your whole life on the ground, this isn't something you want to experience. None of the females knew what to say. And that was very unfortunate for them.

 _"Well since I didn't get the answer..."_ said Charizard and then he released both Pokemon from his grip.

Weavile's and Absol's eyes widened. He did it. Now both of them were falling at an incredible speed to the ground. They were totally screwed. It took some time. But after a few seconds of falling, they began screaming. And loudly. Charizard took this as a signal to fly to them.

 _"That wasn't a proper answer. But I am a good guy. I'll give you one last chance. So. Let's try this one last time, shall we? What do you say to a guy to a guy who saved your life?"_ said Charizard in a relaxed tone as he was flying with them to the ground.

 _"THANK YOU! THANK YOU! JUST CATCH US!"_ yelled both females frantically when they were halfway through the fall.

 _"Hmmmm... I don't know. Do you really want to be saved by a dickhead? Or a moron?"_ said Charizard to them calmly.

 _"OKAY! WE ARE SORRY! SO SORRY! JUST SAVE US! QUICKLY! PLEASE! PLEASE!"_ again yelled the two dark type Pokemon scared to death.

 _"Was it that hard?"_ asked Charizard unfazed by the fact that the ground was only about 100 meters away.

 _"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"_ yelled Absol and Weavile as they lost their eyes. They wanted to just yell out quick No. But when they saw the ground coming, the quick no transformed into the desperate scream of no.

Absol and Weavilel the felt someone catching them. But they didn't dare to open their eyes. After a few minutes, they finally opened their eyes after few seconds. They were still in one piece. Thankfully. When they looked around they saw two cloaked figures one of the figures had a Pikachu on its shoulder. And right beside one of the figures stood that fucking Charizard. Even though they were super angry at him, they knew that they can't anger him more. It could be much worse than the fall that they went through just a few seconds before. Besides. They are still tired and in a bad condition from their fight.

"Glad to see that Charizard knocked some sense into you too. I'm Ash by the way." said Ash to them.

They didn't answer. Just turned their heads from Ash angrily. Ash then chuckled and continued. They were stubborn as ever. Looking for strength to defeat the other and nothing else. This'll be easy.

"If you want I can help you get stronger. I trained this Charizard you know. So If you want to beat your rival, I can help you with that."

Absol and Weavile then looked at Charizard. To their shock, Charizard nodded, approving what Ash said. Then in a matter of seconds, both of them jumped to Ash. When they realized that both of them want to go with him, they got into the fight again.

"Hey. Hey. Take it easy. I can train both of you. That's not a problem." said Ash as he was calming down the small fight.

"Here. If you want to join me, go inside. My Gardevoir'll take care of your injuries in my cave and when you'll be better, we can start your training." said Ash with a warm smile on his face as he pulled two pokeballs out of his belt. Fortunately, that smile Ash tried to give them was covered by his scarf.

Absol and Weavile then without any thinking whatsoever tapped the pokeballs and let themselves be caught inside.

 _"This'll be so annoying."_ thought Charizard as he was thinking about the life with those two in the cave. After Ash added 2 new members to his Pokemon family, the group was back in the skies, roaming through the Hoenn Region, looking for more Pokemon to add to their family.

* * *

Hoenn search came to an end today. They were all around the region but they couldn't find more Pokemon to add to Ash's family. So right now, they are in the cave again. Ash was again trying to meditate with Riolu overlooking his training. Everyone was already healed and everyone was doing different things. And boy the new Hoenn crew in the cave was causing so many troubles. First, there was Sableye. Who decided to just provoke Ash's Infernape as long as he could. The fact that Infernape has the shortest temper out of all Ash's Pokemon just added to Sableye's joy of joking around him.

 _"SABLEYE! IM GOING TO TEAR YOU TO PIECES FOR THIS! WHERE ARE YOU YOU MOTHERFUCKER!"_ yelled Infernape. He was being heard by everyone in their gigantic grassy cave.

 _"Hihihi."_ laughed Sableye who was hiding on the ceiling of the cave. He just poured a can of black paint on Infernape. So Infernape had a nice colored makeover. And to add the salt to the wound, everyone was just laughing at him.

 _"Shouldn't we get him down for Infernape?"_ asked Staraptor his flying friend Swellow near him. Both of them were in a small hole above the rest of Pokemon's 'rooms' since they like heights. Staraptor thought that Infernape deserved a little revenge on the Darkness Pokemon.

 _"Do you want to end up like him?"_ asked Swellow his best friend. Those two spend most of their time together. They were like brothers. When they met at the lab they immediately just clicked. Being the only two bird Pokemon in the lab, if we exclude the lone wolf Noctowl who likes to be alone, they naturally became best buddies.

 _"What?! Of course, I don't want to."_ replied Staraptor to Swellow.

 _"Then just let him do what he's doing. Because next time it would have been us, if we would get in his way. If we'll be lucky enough, he'll be pranking just Infernape and not us."_ said Swellow to Staraptor.

 _"Yeah good idea. I like to keep my feathers clean anyway."_ said Staraptor. But unknown to them. Sableye's next target are those two birds.

* * *

"HE'S MINE! DONT'T YOU DARE TO GET NEAR HIM!" yelled another Pokemon in the cave. And this one was one of the newest. It was Weavile.

"HAH! WHO WOUL'VE WANT TO BE WITH YOU ANYWAY. SCREAMING DUMB POKEMON LIKE YOU COULD NEVER END UP WITH HIM!" yelled another new Pokemon. This time it was Absol.

"YEAH?! WE'LL SEE ABOUT THAT! JUST WATCH AND LEARN!" said Weavile as she was in away from Absol. This was the second trouble. These two are just at each other's throats since they arrived here. First, the fight was about strength and now it looked like they were arguing about some male.

"OH NO. YOU ARE NOT GOING ANYWHERE!" said Absol as she jumped at Weavile and their little fight began.

"Shouldn't we interrupt it before they got themselves hurt again?" asked Luxio a new friend she made, Quilava, from afar.

"Don't worry. We have a guy for the situations just like this. Just watch a pro in action." said Quilava to her friend.

As the two females were fighting, they were wrapped by something. Before they could think about what is going on, they were torn from each other and were in the air again. This time however they were wrapped by some vines it looked like.

 _"Hey. Let us down!"_ yelled Weavile when she saw a Pokemon holding them.

 _"Not until we'll settle this. What is going on here?"_ asked the Pokemon that Ash had for the longest time. Besides Pikachu of course. The veteran of the group, Bulbasaur.

 _"Fine. If you won't let us down willingly..."_ said Absol as she charged her horn with white energy and was ready to shoot Razor Wind attack at Bulbasaur. Weavile, on the other hand, formed a Hidden Power between her hands and was ready to shoot it at Bulbasaur too. Bulbasaur expecting something like this just lined the two Pokemon against each other to shoot the attacks. _"Every. Single. Time."_ thought Bulbasaur. It was always like this at the ranch when he was ending the conflicts.

When the females in the air realized what could happen they canceled their attacks.

Suddenly Bulbasaur felt something clinging on his bulb. And sucking the liquids that his bulb was generating for the seeds that he can shoot from it. Everybody knew what was sucking his bulb. Sorry not what but who it was. _"Goddammit, Heracross! Not NOW!"_ yelled Bulbasaur. And since he had his vines occupied by restraining the two females he had to improvise. He took Weavile and slammed her into the Heracross sending him few meters back. Thankfully Heracross went away when he did that. But on the other hand he angered Weavile.

 _"WHAT THE HELL! WHY DID YOU USE ME AND NOT HER! THAT'S NOT FAIR!"_ yelled angry Weavile. Absol was just laughing her ass of.

 _"Sorry. It's nothing personal. I have a better coordination in my left vine then the right one. That's why. But that's not important. What were you two arguing about again?"_ asked Bulbasaur. As Bulbasaur asked this question both females looked at one specific Pokemon. It was Charizard. That strong Pokemon who caught their attacks like it was nothing. His strength was just so godddamn hot to them. Bulbasaur realised what was going on pretty quickly.

 _"Ahhhhh. So Charizard is the reason for this fight. Heh. I'm sorry to tell you ladies but Charizard already taken."_ said Bulbasaur to them. His friend came a long way. From a little Charmander to the female magnet as a probably strongest Charizard in this world. _"We have been through a lot."_ thought Bulbasaur. He missed his original elemental trio. Good old times. But now? Squirtle is gone, leading his new Squirtle squad and Charizard isn't who he used to be. It's a little depressing.

 _"WHAT?!"_ asked Absol and Weavile.

 _"Ahhh. Yes. He has a mate in Charisific Valley. She is already carrying his cubs. So you'll have to find someone else."_ said Bulbasaur as he finally put them back to the ground before continuing with his story.

 _"Ladies. Let Charizard go. He is pretty devasted by the fact that he can't see his mate and his future cubs already. He would throw both of you on the wall if you would suggest anything perverted you two have in mind. It's not just about him and strength you know. We all are here for a very important reason. I'm going to explain everything to you so you better listen. It's long and crazy story."_ said Bulbasaur as he explained everything to those two fiery Pokemon. And at the end of Bulbasaur's story, both of them were silent. Calmed down.

 _"Amazing. He's like the wise grandpa of Ash's Pokemon family."_ said Luxio in awe to Quilava when she saw Bulbasaur calming both Pokemon down.

 _"Yeah. Except he isn't that old."_ said Quilava to Luxio. It was known that Bulbasaur is very wise. But he isn't as old as everyone make him to be. It is a running joke in Ash's group that Bulbasaur is older than professor Oak himself.

* * *

 **Two days later**

"I never thought that I'll come here again." said Ash.

"Pikaaaaa..." said Pikachu back to him.

 _"You've been here before?"_ asked Mewtwo.

"Yeah..." said Ash. Ash, Pikachu, and Mewtwo were walking through the caves of Mount Silver in Johto region. Similarly to Sinnoh, when they tried to find new Pokemon in Hoenn days later, Ash didn't fell the connection a single time. So they decided to go to another region. Johto. And as soon as they neared the Mount Silver, Ash felt the connection again. And the connection was coming from the heart of the dangerous mountain.

After some walking, the group registered a small trembling in the ground. They stopped for a moment. Another trembling. This time slightly stronger. Ash told his Pokemon to get ready for battle. Then another tremble. Stronger again. Something big was coming towards them. After some strong trembles in the ground, a group of Pokemon was revealed to them as they were marching through the cave. And they weren't ordinary Pokemon. It was a herd of Tyranitars marching through. When they saw Ash and his Pokemon, they didn't look like they appreciate their presence in the mountain. All of them got into the attack stances and were ready to fight. All of them except one. This one Tyranitar immediately stepped between Ash and the herd, and was saying something wildly to the herd.

"Pika!" yelled the yellow mouse and jumped out of Ash's shoulder and ran to the Tyranitar between him and the herd.

"Pikachu?" asked Ash. He knows Pikachu very well. And this is nothing like his ordinary behavior. And he didn't catch what was Pikachu saying, unfortunately.

Pikachu then jumped on the Tyranitar's shoulder and extended his paw for high five. The Tyranitar immediately took the chance and high fived Pikachu's small paw with a smile on her face. She then looked at the two cloaked figures. Even though Ash was covered in a cloak, he could never hide his scent. And this Tyranitar knew how Ash smells. She began running to Ash's direction with arms wide open with a desire to give him a big, nice and bone-crushing hug. And before Ash knew it, he was enveloped in a big bone-crushing hug comparable to Delia's when he came back from a journey.

Mewtwo was ready to attack, but Pikachu signaled him not to when Tyranitar was running at Ash. Whatever was going on here, it had a rich history, that's for sure.

Tyranitar then let Ash breath for a moment and looked at him. He was a little taller than the time she last saw him. And he definitely changed his wardrobe. He looked like a creep to her.

"Pikachu! Chu pika pi!" said Pikachu to confused Ash. It took him some time but he was finally able to process what was going on and what Pikachu was saying. It all made sense now. Why the connection felt familiar when he registered it in the air. And why this Tyranitar was so affectionate towards him. Ash was her adoptive father after all.

"Larvitar?!" asked Ash.

"Raaaaaaaaar!" roared Tyranitar with a smile afterward.

"My god I can't believe it's you who was calling out to me! This is amazing! I am so glad to see you again!" said excited Ash to Lar... Tyranitar.

It felt like yesterday when he received Larvitar's egg from professor Elm at the Marine Pokemon Laboratory. And now? 2.5 meters high Tyranitar was standing right in front of Ash's eyes. From a simple green egg to a fearsome Tyranitar. _"Time flies fast."_ thought Ash.

"Raaaaaaaar!" roared happy Tyranitar again. She was so glad that he came here. She is no longer that weak little Larvitar she once was. She no longer needs the protection of her family. Don't get her wrong, it was great that her mother raised her here. But. She wants to go on an adventure with Ash again. Life here is pretty boring. If he would just accept her back and added her to the team it would be great.

"So. These guys behind you are your friends and family?" asked Ash.

"Raawr" growled Tyranitar as she nodded her head.

"P...Pleasure to meet you guys." said nervous Ash as he was going to the herd of at least 20 Tyranitars. When Ash finally made it to the herd, he was already terrified to bits. Not a single one of them had a pleasant look and their face. And Mount Silver is known to host the strongest Pokemon in Kanto and Johto. Scary even for Ash.

"I promise that I won't do anything to you. I would be pretty stupid if I would don't you think?" said Ash with a chuckle trying to lighten up the mood. Ash received growls in response. Hard to tell if they were friendly or not.

"A...Anyway. I.. I would like to take Tyranitar with me." said Ash nervously. Angry growls responded to Ash's statement.

"D...Don't worry. I... I won't hurt her. I was the one who brought her here after all." said Ash. To the group. Suddenly the whole herd wasn't on their 'on alert' mode, and were much more relaxed. One Tyranitar especially. She made her way through the crowd. This Tyranitar was now standing in front of Ash. And she was smiling at the cloaked trainer. Then she took his hood off revealing his face to her.

As this happened, Ash's former Larvitar made her way to Ash and the herd again. With Pikachu on her shoulder and Mewtwo beside them. Mewtwo himself was on the edge whole time. Especially when that Tyranitar took of Ash's hood. You never know what a wild Pokemon can do. Then Ash's former Larvitar growled something to the Tyranitar that took of Ash's hood. They were discussing something.

"I would take her with me if she would want of course. I don't want to take her away from you if she doesn't want to. You're her mother after all. Am I right?" asked Ash the question.

"Raaar" growled and nodded the Tyranitar. Confirming Ash's theory. After a discussion between those two Tyranitars in front of the whole herd of them, Ash's former Tyranitar hugged her mother and growled something again to her for the last time. Ash's former Tyranitar then looked at Ash with a happy look and nodded.

"Welcome back, Tyranitar." said Ash as he unclipped another empty pokeball from his belt and offered it to Tyranitar.

* * *

"Riolu use Aura Sphere. Tyranitar use Dark Pulse!" said Ash.

After Ash caught Tyranitar, they walked out of the mountain to the rocky clearing before the mountain. It took some time because Mount Silver is a pretty big mountain, but they managed. And Ash wanted to test Tyranitar's skills and abilities in a little sparring match. Riolu volunteered for this match. Of course. And thus it began. Riolu was already pretty beat up. Tyranitar was just too god damn strong for little Emanation Pokemon. Nevertheless, he still stood up. Asking for more.

And he received more. Tyranitar's Dark Pulse overpowered Riolu's Aura Sphere without a problem and hit Riolu. Worthless. That's how Riolu felt even through the pain. He was training like a madman when he wasn't overlooking Ash's training. And it still wasn't enough to be on par with this Tyranitar.

"I think this should be enough. Goo..." said Ash. But he was interrupted by someone.

 _"No! Not yet. I can still go!"_ yelled Riolu through his Aura link with Ash.

"Riolu. You are beaten up pretty badly. You've put up a good fight. You should rest up. This isn't a life or death match. Take it easy buddy." said Ash.

 _"Don't you dare to stop it, Ash. I still want to fight!"_ said Riolu in a harsh tone to Ash. One hit. That's all he asks for. Give him one hit and he'll give it up. He doesn't want to go down like this.

"... Okay, Riolu. But when the next attack hit you we are ending this fight without a debate. Is that clear Romeo?" said Ash with a sigh. Stubborn as ever.

 _"Fine. And why is everyone calling me Romeo? I don't like it and it's a stupid nickname."_ said Riolu via the link.

"Sure Romeo. I'll explain it to you later." said Ash teasingly to Riolu. Riolu just sighed inwardly.

"Riolu use Blaze Kick! Tyranitar use Dragon Claw!" said Ash to his two Pokemon. He was impressed how Riolu was holding up. But more importantly, he was impressed by Tyranitar. That Pokemon is a beast! Riolu doesn't even stand a chance and Riolu as a big type advantage. Don't get Ash wrong, he trusts Riolu, but his Tyranitar is on a completely different power level. And Riolu is much more inexperienced in battles then Ash's other Pokemon. _"I surely don't want to anger Tyranitar up."_ thought Ash.

Even though Riolu tried his hardest with the Blaze Kick, he was no match for Tyranitar's Dragon Claw. Riolu was sent to the ground for the last time. At least that's what it looked like. When Ash was going to stop the training, Riolu got up again. Legs wobbly but he still pulled himself up. With a roar he let everyone one know that he isn't done yet despite his injuries. Riolu then began to glow in a bright white light. _"Well. Well. Well. I am certainly glad that I let him take that last attack"_ thought Ash. After a few seconds, a new Pokemon emerged from the yellow light. The Aura Pokemon, Lucario.

"Well, congaratulation. How are you feeling? Lucario." asked happy Ash to his newly evolved Pokemon.

 _"Taller. Stronger. Refreshed."_ replied Lucario.

"Well. Let's see how much stronger the evolution made you." said Ash. And even though he didn't give Lucario any command Lucario ran to Tyranitar with a long bone like the staff in his paws. _"I've seen this before. That's Bone Rush."_ thought Ash. Tyranitar then used Dragon Claw to block this attack. Both Pokemon then exchanged a few blows with Bone Rush and Dragon Claw until Tyranitar gave a big punch to Lucario's bone staff and it forced him to slide back few meters when he blocked it.

"Magnificent job. But next time wait for my command OK?" said Ash. Both Pokemon nodded to Ash and Tyranitar even gave Ash another big hug. After the hug finally ended Ash was able to breathe and say something.

"You should squeeze me much more next time Tyranitar. I would love to have my bones crushed by you know." said Ash with sarcasm. Embarrassed Tyranitar just nodded to this.

"What do you say we'll end our trip for today. I think it's time for a little break and then we can fly back home. You both earned it." said Ash proud of his Pokemon. Tyranitar could be easily categorized as one of his 7 strongest Pokemon right now. And Riolu's evolution to Lucario was an amazing surprise and he was able to even trade some blows with Tyranitar. This was a huge step forward.

During this whole time, they were watched by a certain Pokemon from an elevated rock. He watched in absolute awe what was happening there. The fight between Tyranitar and Lucario was a sight to be held. He wants to be able to do that too. But he is just soo... clumsy. He misses attacks and falls on his face constantly. Which is surprising since he has the ability to levitate and has nothing to stumble over. Talented individual he is. Just not in a field he would want to. And his clumsiness was demonstrated again. He wanted to get closer, but he forgets that he is on an elevated rock and fell from the rock. And he was falling right into the crew that was training there.

When Ash stopped the training and made his way to his Pokemon he felt the connection again. And it was awfully close. He looked in the direction where it was coming from and saw a Pokemon rolling right towards him. Thankfully Mewtwo lifted Ash with Psychic just in time to avoid the collision. Mewtwo let Ash down and together they went to inspect the Pokemon that rolled to them.

"That was awfully close. Thanks, Mewtwo." said Ash.

 _"You are welcome, Ash."_ said Mewtwo through telepathy.

They were near the unexpected guest right now.

"Guys. I think this is another future member of our Pokemon family." said Ash.

Pikachu, Tyranitar, Lucario, Mewtwo, and Ash were both looking on the ground where the Pokemon lied. It was a Pokemon made entirely from blue metal with red eyes and two hands. Ash saw this Pokemon before. Morrison has the same one. Metang. The Iron Claw Pokemon. Metang then pulled himself up and looked at Ash. What followed were various sounds coming from Metang as he was approaching every single Pokemon there.

"Mewtwo? What's going on? Did he hit himself on the head? Wait. Would it affect him like this if he would? Does a Metang have a brain inside?" asked Ash. He was overthinking this a little bit. But really. Does a Metang have a brain inside of his metal head? Or is there something else?

 _"Ash. I don't know how Metangs work. But I can say that he is apologizing to everyone for the mess he made."_ replied Mewtwo.

"Ooo. Ok. But still. Somebody should get on that. Anyway. Metang?" asked Ash.

"Tang!" Metang then appeared right in front of Ash again bowing his head frantically and apologizing.

"Hey. Hey. It's OK. It's fine. Nothing happened. Well, not to us anyway. What about you? Are you okay? That fall must've done some damage to you." asked Ash this clumsy Pokemon as he was trying to calm him down.

Metang furiously shook his head, telling Ash that he is completely fine. Then he looked into the ground in shame. He screwed up again. Sadly. Everything he does is screwing up.

"Don't be sad buddy. It was an accident. It happens." said Ash.

"Tang. Met. Metang." said sadly Metang.

 _"Mewtwo?"_ asked Ash. Clearly for translation.

 _"Metang is ashamed of himself. He said that all he ever does is screw things up"_ said Mewtwo to Ash.

Then Ash's other Pokemon began talking to Metang. Pikachu, Lucario, and Tyranitar were all around him saying some soothing words to him. After a few minutes of conversation, Metang looked happier. It's hard to tell due to him not having mouth, but Ash could see it in Metang's crimson eyes.

"Metang. I need you." said Ash to now happy Metang.

"Tang?" replied confused Metang. Him? Why on Earth would he need him? He is a clumsy mess on a Pokemon. There are hundreds of Pokemon in this area. This doesn't make any sense.

"It'll be hard to understand this, but hear me out. I have a special power. This power grants me some kind of connection to a few Pokemon in a wild. I think that these Pokemon are destined to fight by my side and become stronger. Stronger than anyone can imagine. I need help with every single one of those Pokemon to purge this world from an evil organization that is trying to take over Kanto Region and maybe the whole world. And you are one of those Pokemon." said Ash.

Metang looked at Ash with even more confused look. Special power. Connection to some pokemon. Making them stronger. Purge the world from evil. It all sounds good and dandy. But a little unbelievable if you ask him. There is just no way this could be real. Metang's eyes then looked at the 3 Pokemon before him. Pikachu and Lucario just nodded. Tyranitar just stared at the whole situation in disbelief. Nobody told her that too. But it didn't bother her that much. She is just glad that she is going on an adventure.

"So. What do you say Metang? Care to join my quest?" asked Ash.

Metang put a deep thought into this. Taking this guys offer is very appealing. If he could make him stronger and not so utterly useless it would be great. But on the other hand. It seemed like a very dangerous idea. Taking down criminal organization is most likely no joke. It seemed very serious. So. What will it be? He looked at Ash's Pokemon one last time and was decided right there. He doesn't have anyone after all. So why to waste time here all alone. He could make friends, get better at fighting and all that. It is dangerous. Of course. But it'll be worth it. He looked at Ash with his and nodded his big metal head.

"Awesome. Now just get inside, and I'll let you out when we'll be home." said Ash to Metang as he unclipped another Pokeball off his belt and let Metang get inside.

 _"You are really good at making friends with wild Pokemon Ash."_ said Mewtwo through telepathy to Ash. It was magnificent to watch him talking them into them joining him on his mission. Yeah, his battles were entertaining, but just watching him bonding with them like this. It's a very pleasant sight. And it feels somewhat right too.

"Heh. Thanks. It's kinda my thing I guess." replied Ash.

* * *

Everybody was excited to meet their newest members of family. Metang was trying to fit in and make some friends. It was successful so far. He hangs out with Torterra now. They both have an experience with being clumsy. So Torterra serves as some kind of mentor to the clumsy Metang. On the other hand, Tyranitar was greeting her friends from the past. And in the end, she was hanging out with Bayleef. Talking about Ash's adventures in the past.

The group arrived at a cave an hour ago and one Pokemon was hiding from the others. More specifically from one female Pokemon.

 _"Why are you hiding from her?"_ asked a yellow rodent

 _"What do you mean why? Look at me. I am a completely different Pokemon!"_ replied the Aura Pokemon.

 _"You do realize that she'll find out in a few hours."_ told Pikachu.

 _"I know. I just. Have to think this through."_ said Lucario to Pikachu. When Charizard and Pikachu talked to him about females and that he didn't screw anything up with Gardevoir, he became much more nervous around her. He was now in a confused state about her. How'll he know that what he is doing is right? He didn't recognize it last time. And Pikachu with Charizard told him that you can't understand females unless you are one. Great advice. Yeah, they gave him advice on how to compliment her and what females like. Like flowers for example. But that's it.

 _"Oh hell no. When it comes to females you function best when your logical mind is completely shut off like you told us last time."_ said Pikachu to his hopeless friend. _"GARDEVOIR?! COULD YOU COME HERE PLEASE?"_ shouted Pikachu in a cave.

 _"Wait! What are you doing! She can't see me like this! Not yet! I'm not ready!"_ yelled Lucario angrily at the yellow mouse.

 _"If you hadn't realized it yet I'm helping you out. Ou look. Here she comes."_ said Pikachu calmly.

And as Pikachu said, Gardevoir was coming to their view. And yes she looked gorgeous. At least to Lucario. He was trying to get away, but Pikachu's tail suddenly glows in a bright color. He slammed the tail near Lucario's foot when he tried to walk away.

 _"You are not going anywhere, Romeo. I'll get you to her one way or another. And trust me. You don't want to lie in front of her when I'm done with you. The choice is yours."_ said Pikachu.

Lucario gulped. He was now again in a corner. He likes fighting, but if Pikachu would go all out on him. Boy, he would end up like Luxio, when Pikachu met her. And he certainly doesn't want to lie in front of Gardevoir in that state. Choice he said. That isn't choice at all.

 _"Hi, Pikachu. What is going on"_ asked Gardevoir when she saw Pikachu and a new Pokemon in a cave.

 _"Is this one of the new guys? Nice to meet you I'm Gardevoir. I heal others here."_ she introduced herself politely.

 _"Ooooh. OK. Yeah, he's a new one. What do you think about him"_ asked Pikachu. He's going to play a little game with those two. Let's see how it'll go.

 _"Hmm... He looks... nice. I.. I guess. But can't make my opinion on him when I don't know him. What's your name?"_ asked Gardevoir. She was curious who he is. He resembles someone but he is still quite different. And he really did look nice. And he looked... feral. It was her little secret but she really likes when male Pokemon looks like that. Or at least gave her a feeling like that. But they have to behave a little at least too.

 _"I... I'm Lucario. And... we already know each other."_ replied Lucario. God his brain was offline again.

 _"Really? I don't think I've seen you before."_ said Gardevoir. Even his voice was like from a wild feral Pokemon. And at this moment Pikachu went a few steps back to give them some privacy but still overlooking the whole situation just in case.

 _"W...Well, you knew me as Riolu. I evolved on the trip to Johto region."_ replied Lucario nervously. This was it. How'll she react?

 _"R...riolu?"_ she asked in disbelief as Lucario slightly and nervously nodded.. Now it makes sense. She didn't see him in the cave this whole time! She was even looking for him. She doesn't know why but she was. Now here he is. And God does the new look suit him.

 _"You... You got... hot"_ replied nervous Gardevoir. She was adoring his new look so much that she even made a slip of a tongue.

 _"H...hot?"_ asked confused Lucario. This isn't a response he was expecting.

 _"I have to go!"_ screamed shy Gardevoir and she quickly ran away. _"I wanted to say tall! WHY?! Where did that come from?!"_ asked herself a blushing and embarrassed Gardevoir. She would rather dig a hole and die from embarrassment then meet Lucario again. How is she going to explain this?

 _"What's the matter Gardevoir?"_ asked Pikachu when he saw Gardevoir.

 _"N...Nothing! A... Absolutely n... nothing.!"_ she shouted frantically. And resumed her run from the embarrassing situation. Pikachu then looked to Lucario and went to him.

 _"So what happened. Tell me and I'll make it right. This is kinda my fault after all."_ said Pikachu to Lucario. Pikachu thought that Lucario screwed up somehow. But. Lucario looked more stunned than sad. Like he had no clue what happened.

 _"What do females mean when they call you hot, Pikachu?"_ asked confused Lucario.

* * *

Another two days went by and Ash's search came to an end. He didn't find any more Pokemon in Kanto region. And since he flew nearly all around these regions he decided to end his search for Pokemon. With these regions completely explored a new step in their mission will begin. And it is the most important step. This will determine if they'll succeed or fail. From now on they have 3 years. Three years to bring every single member here, in this cave, to a top condition. They'll have to endure a hellish training every day to be ready for their mission to succeed. He isn't looking forward to it. But. They have no choice. Lives of many people now rest on their shoulders.

"Mewtwo." said Ash. He now stood in the middle of the cave near the fireplace in his Sinnoh outfit. He'll have to wash it up soon. Now he has Pikachu on his shoulder and Mewtwo is standing beside him.

 _"Yes?"_ said Mewtwo.

"It's time. Bring everyone here. Serious training begins right now."

* * *

 **Author's note: Finally done. This chapter was so exhausting to write. It was a joy to write in the beginning but when Tyranitars came I was so exhausted from this. So these are all Ash's catches. And I know what you are wondering "But FapTime, Ash caught only 10 Pokemon where is the last one as you promised?" And you are right. He caught only 10. But since I was so exhausted from writing this chapter, I stopped at number 10 and number 11 is your choice. I'll create poll of 10 Pokemon that I can see in Ash's team. I'll choose some non-popular ones. I'm not saying the ones I'll choose won't be popular, but if I gave you the option for Eevee for example I know who would win the pole. So. Ash's last Pokemon will be the winner of the poll. I have no idea how I'll implement him into the team but I'll find a way.**

 **Anyway. This chapter was all about bringing the team together. Next chapter will be much shorter. This was probably one time thing. I don't think I can make Ash's training montage 20 000 words like this chapter. Yeah and I'll be adding Ash's Pokemon and their moves under every chapter from now on. So you can see which attacks each Pokemon has. You could PM me some ideas for new attacks for some Pokemon. Maybe I'll choose some. We'll see.**

 **And last thing. I changed the title from Hero from the mountain to Hero from the frozen mountain. Big change I know. But it sounded better in my opinion.**

 **Ash's Pokemon in the cave and their moveset:**

 **Pikachu (Male) – Thunderbolt, Quick Attack, Iron Tail, Volt Tackle**

 **Luxio (Female) – Thunder Fang, Crunch, Volt Switch, Wild Charge**

 **Bulbasaur (Male) – Vine Whip, Razor Leaf, Leech Seed, Solar Beam**

 **Bayleef (Female) – Grassy Terrain, Razor Leaf, Vine Whip, Headbutt**

 **Sceptile (Male) – Leaf Storm, Solar Beam, Brick Break, Double Team**

 **Torterra (Male) – Leaf Storm, Energy Ball, Rock Climb, Synthesis**

 **Totodile (Male) – Water Gun, Bite, Headbutt, Scary Face**

 **Buizel (Male) - Aqua Jet, Water Gun, Sonic Boom, Ice Punch**

 **Corpfish (Male) – Bubble Beam, Crabhammer, Vice Grip, Harden**

 **Kingler (Male) – Water Gun, Metal Claw, Crabhammer, Hyper Beam**

 **Feebas (Female) - Splash**

 **Torkoal (Male) - Heat Wave, Overheat, Iron Defense. Rock Slide**

 **Quilava (Female) – Flamethrower, Eruption, Aerial Ace, Swift**

 **Infernape (Male) – Flamethrower, Flare Blitz, Mach Punch, Dig**

 **Charizard (Male) – Flamethrower, Dragon Rage, Dragon Tail, Seismic Toss**

 **Noctowl (Male) – Confusion, Sky Attack, Air Slash, Extrasensory**

 **Swellow (Male) – Quick Attack, Wing Attack, Aerial Ace, Double Team**

 **Staraptor (Male) – Quick Attack, Wing Attack, Brave Bird, Close Combat**

 **Tauros x30 (Males) – Fissure, Take Down, Horn Attack, Zen Headbutt**

 **Snorlax (Male) – Ice Punch, Rest, Hyper Beam, Body Slam**

 **Donphan (Male) – Rollout, Earthquake, Take Down, Hyper Beam**

 **Gliscor (Male) – X-Scissor, Fire Fang, Giga Impact, Stone Edge**

 **Heracross (Male) – Megahorn, Sleep Talk, Focus Punch, Hyper Beam**

 **Muk (Male) – Sludge Bomb, Body Slam, Mud Bomb, Acid Spray**

 **Toxicroak (Male) – Sludge Wave, Poison Jab, Sucker Punch, Low Sweep**

 **Glalie (Male) – Ice Beam, Shadow Ball, Protect, Crunch**

 **Gabite (Male) – Dig, Slash, Rock Smash, Draco Meteor**

 **Sableye (Male) – Shadow Ball, Power Gem, Will-O-Wisp, Detect**

 **Lucario (Male) – Aura Sphere, Blaze Kick, Bone Rush, Force Palm**

 **Metang (Genderless) - Meteor Mash, Gyro Ball, Psychic, Flash Cannon**

 **Weavile (Female) – Night Slash, Metal Claw, Hidden Power, Blizzard**

 **Absol (Female) – Night Slash, Razor Wind, Attract, Fire Blast**

 **Tyranitar (Female) – Stone Edge, Earhquake, Dark Pulse, Dragon Claw**

 **Gardevoir (Female) – Teleport, Light Screen, Calm Mind, Heal Pulse**

 **Mewtwo (Male) – Psystrike, Psychic, Dream Eater, Hypnosis**

 **P.S: I know Mewtwo can't learn Hypnosis in games, but I gave him this attack anyway. He is most powerfull psychic Pokemon. So why wouldn't he learn that right?**

 **That's it for now.**

 **Reviews are appreciated.**


	10. Setting the stage: Through hell and back

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Pokemon or any of these characters.**

 **Author's note: So after a little break I'm back with another chapter. This chapter should be much shorter than the previous one. At least I hope so. If not then I got carried away again.**

 **Someone pointed out that Slash and Rock Smash wouldn't hit Sableye in the battle against Gible/Gabite. And this guy was of course right. So I'll rewrite that battle in the future and let you all know when to reread it. Until then, we'll just pretend that these attacks somehow hit Sableye.**

 **Anyway. To today's chapter. This chapter will be all about Ash's training in the ways of Aura and the last Pokemon of Ash's team will appear.**

"classic conversation"

 _"thoughts/Pokespeech/telepathy"_

 **That is all for now. Enjoy.**

* * *

 **VI. Setting the stage: Through hell and back**

Three weeks after Ash's 'death', the training began. And the training was truly ruthless. Whole ten hours of each day were dedicated towards the training with some breaks to eat and drink. With only a Sunday to be a day without a training. Thankfully, all of Ash's Pokemon were doing it even though it was exhausting for them each day. All of them now knew why they were doing it and why they had to do it like this. And the fact that none of Ash's Pokemon wants to be the first one to drop down from exhaustion kept them on their feet too. These 'sparrings' weren't really sparrings. They were full-fledged battles. And you can bet that these battles were intense. Most brutal battles were between 3 strongest Pokemon in the cave. Charizard with Pikachu teamed up to trade blows with Mewtwo. Poor Charizard. And he thought that he'll be able to take it easy during those 3 years. It was only wishful dreaming on Charizard's side.

Others were training hard too. Not just that, but Ash sometimes took a break with Lucario from his Aura training and both of them were overlooking the weaker ones to make sure that they'll be able to at least gave a decent fight against his Charizard or Pikachu after those 3 years of relentless training. And some got visibly stronger already. Right after Riolu and Gible evolved, Totodile evolved into Croconaw during the first day of training. After losing constantly against Corpfish that day, he found the strength he needed to evolve and was finally able to keep up the pace with Corpfish. Eleven days later another Pokemon evolved. This time it was Bayleef that turned into Meganium. And it was a similar scenario to Totodile's one. This time, however, Bayleef was fighting against Torterra. And even though she was trying her hardest, she was just no match for the Continent Pokemon. And as Totodile, she found a strength to evolve and she was finally able to land some solid hits on the giant grass turtle.

And as for Ash's Aura training, he was finally able to 'see' all the Pokemon in the cave through his Aura Sense in a meditative state. Next thing he was trying to accomplish was the ability to sense them when he isn't so concentrated. So he wasn't meditating and only was trying this with closed eyes. And for some reason it was much harder then he thought. The meditative state had just something which made that much easier.

However, this wasn't his primary training. When the true training started, Lucario began teaching Ash some basic battle stances and he was teaching him to punch something else than the air when doing a pose too. This exercise Ash enjoyed much more than the Aura Sense one. Even though Lucario was strict and ruthless trainer during the spars between him and Lucario. Pokemon is a trainer of a human. Who would've thought?

But what did Gardevoir trained when she didn't attack during this time? Well. She was deflecting attacks with Light Screen, Teleporting out of the attacks and all in all training her moves to be in a top condition too. Her training routine was much longer though. At the and of each day she had to heal the others from their own training. And it was very awkward between her and Lucario since she let her tongue slip. So seeing him each day before her on that towel was uncomfortable for both of them. At least he didn't ask her anything when she was healing him. And that they didn't saw each other during those training sessions is a plus too.

This whole process was going on for 3 weeks now. And right now Ash was near his Gabite and Metang to overlook their training. These two were pretty equal in power so he paired them up. However, due to Metang being still clumsy, even though Torterra gave him some tips, he was still receiving a good beating from Gabite. But then out of nowhere Metang finally landed a hit. And what a powerful hit it was. Metang sent Gabite flying through the cave with a Meteor Mash attack right into Ash's room. But when Gabite hit the wall there, Gabite's flight didn't stop. The force of the impact destroyed the wall in Ash's room revealing a new cave right behind Ash's room.

"Great Meteor Mash, Metang. But... You're gonna repair the wall Metang. Is that clear?" said Ash to the Iron Claw Pokemon.

"Tang, Tang!" Metang nodded furiously and apologized to Ash.

As Ash was trying to calm down Metang, neither of them realized that Gabite was still inside the hole in the wall. And he wasn't coming back. They waited for a few minutes but he still wasn't coming out of there. After about ten minutes Ash and Metang ran out of patience. Yes that Meteor Mash was strong and the impact destroyed the wall, but Gabite is tough Pokemon. He should be here by now. It takes much more than one hit to knock Gabite out. When they were nearing the hole in the wall, Gabite finally came out. With a small Pokemon in his claws. And Ash immediately felt the connection again. This time to this little fella.

"I see you found yourself a new friend Gabite." said Ash to Gabite.

"Ga Bite!" roared a Gabite. He found this little fella when he heard someone calling for help. When he found him, he was sleeping on the floor. So he picked him up and brought him back. However, Gabite's roar caused a little Pokemon to wake up and start crying, unfortunately.

"Shhhh... Shhhh... It's okay. It's okay. Gabite didn't want to scare you. Everything is okay. Nobody is going to hurt you little guy." said Ash to little Aron in Gabite's claws when he took him and cradle him trying to stop the crying. But Aron didn't stop crying, unfortunately.

 _"Ehm... What now..."_ thought Ash. This was probably some baby Pokemon who hatched a few minutes or hours ago. Everybody would think that Ash has a lot of experience with taking care of the baby Pokemon. But unfortunately, it isn't like that. Ash always had a major help from Brock. Brock is the Pokemon breeder after all so he was usually the one who calmed the baby Pokemon down or was nursing them. But Brock isn't here. If only Ash had someone like Brock here... Wait. He HAS someone like Brock here.

"Lucario! Bring Bulbasaur over here!" said Ash to Lucario as he was still trying to soothe little Aron but to no avail.

Lucario then walked off to find Bulbasaur and bring him to Ash. After few minutes of Aron's crying and Ash's attempts to calm down little Aron, Bulbasaur with Lucario finally came back.

"Hi, Bulbasaur. I need your help. We found this little fella and Gabite scared him accidentally. And we can't soothe him, unfortunately. You have some experience with this right?" asked Ash hopefully.

"Bulba!" nodded Bulbasaur. Bulbasaur took care of younglings in the hidden Pokemon sanctuary in the Kanto region. And there were plenty of younglings in Oak's lab too. So taking care of them is no problem for him.

"Great! Can you soothe Aron? I tried but... I'm not good at this." answered Ash sheepishly to Bulbasaur.

Bulbasaur then looked at the Pokemon at Ash's hand. He was crying but he wasn't trashing himself. That means Aron isn't probably scared and trying to free himself as Ash and the others thought. No. Aron was sad. He had to hatch minutes ago. Without mother or father nearby. That has to be a sad experience for a Pokemon just a few minutes old.

Bulbasaur then took that little guy with his vines and placed him in front of him as Aron was still crying. When Aron felt something around him, he was terrified even more. But still, he wasn't trashing with himself probably due to the shock how the events turned out. When he was face to face with Bulbasaur Aron began crying even more. Bulbasaur then took one of his vines and petted Aron on the head and said something in pokespeech to Aron. He repeated this several times until Aron finally stopped crying. When Aron stopped and looked at Bulbasaur who was still petting him on the head, relief washed over Aron. Aron then made his way to Bulbasaur and nuzzled Bulbasaur and lied down next to Bulbasaur quickly falling asleep.

"Great job Bulbasaur." whispered Ash to Bulbasaur trying not to wake Aron up.

"Bulbasaur. Take him to the new cave in my room for now. He shouldn't be disturbed there by the fighting here. Stay with him until he'll wake up. When Aron'll be ready come back here and we'll sort it out." whispered Ash to Bulbasaur quietly. Bulbasaur then carefully wrapped his vines around Aron lying next to him and placed Aron on top of his bulb and made his way into the new cave.

 _"Great thinking Ash."_ Lucario praised Ash through the Aura Link. Ash came up with a solution pretty quickly. It's probably his ability to think things on his feet and put them to use. Just like his battle strategies. Ash may not be the smartest person on Earth, but he surely has one of the sharpest minds of all the people in the Pokemon world.

 _"Thanks."_ said Ash. But there is still one thing that bothers him.

 _"But how did I not register him earlier? He had to wander through the cave for some time and I sensed him through aura only when Gabite brought him to us. And how did he appeared here out of all places? There are no Pokemon in the top half of this mountain from what I heard. Yet here is one. And a baby nonetheless."_ asked Ash.

 _"It's due to the fact that the Aura energy takes it's time to manifest in Pokemon after Pokemon hatches. And as for his appearance here. Most likely it was caused by the incident with Team Galactic you told me about. Pokemon left these places in a hurry. It is possible that someone left an egg here due to the chaos and because of the cold environment, it took some time for the egg to hatch. To be honest, it's a miracle that Aron hatched in these conditions without mother. That's my theory. It could be something else too though."_ explained Lucario to Ash via their link.

 _"You have answers for everything don't you?"_ asked Ash communicating with Lucario through Aura link.

 _"No. Only for things that have some logical and plausible explanation for them. This is one of them."_ replied Lucario.

 _"Of course. However, then there are other things you have no clue about. Am I right, Romeo?"_ asked Ash teasingly through the link.

 _"... Yeah. And will you finally tell me why are you calling me Romeo? I still didn't get any explanation for that."_ asked irritated Lucario.

"Give me a second. Gabite and Metang." said Ash to his two Pokemon who were watching the Aron incident whole time. They turned to Ash as soon as they heard their names.

"Go back to training. Gabite you are doing great. Metang you're doing great too. You finally hit Gabite. That counts. Keep it up and you'll be able to beat him in no time." said Ash to his two Pokemon as they cheered for Ash and got back to training.

 _"Now, Romeo. Let's go back to sparing."_ said Ash via Aura Link to Lucario.

 _"For the love of God! Will I finally find out why you are calling me Romeo?!"_ asked Lucario. It was getting more annoying each time Ash called him like that.

 _"Perhaps."_ said Ash as they were going to their usual place for sparring in the cave.

At the end of the day, Aron with Bulbasaur came up from the cave. Aron was still shaken a little by the vents that unfold but thanks to Bulbasaur he managed to keep it together. Ash then got a little closer with Aron but still, he had a long road ahead of himself. He assigned Bulbasaur to nurture Aron for first two to three weeks and then get back to training. This should give Aron enough time to mature a little and get used to the environment where he'll be growing up. And this is how Ash got the last Pokemon for his mission.

* * *

 **4 months later**

Ash and his Pokemon had a day off in the cave and everybody was enjoying it. And by enjoying I mean they were all sleeping and trying to regain energy for the next 'sparring' sessions. Only Pikachu, Lucario and Mewtwo were on their feet. All four of them were now in the pond Ash's water Pokemon made. Shame it isn't a hot spring. The water is fairly cold there. But it is something at least. And Ash was beginning to notice some changes on his body already when he looked at his reflection on the water.

First of all his Z marks on his cheeks were fading slowly. They were barely visible right now. Second of all his skin was looking a little paler. _"Probably from the lack of sun. Damn. I am beginning to forget how that ball on the sky looks like already."_ thought Ash. And that wasn't everything. His eyes were narrowing down slowly too. That is probably due to the fact his vision and Aura vision is sharpening so his eyes are sharpening too. Then there was the obvious thing like his hair were a little longer. They still held their shape but they grew a little. And the most notable thing was his entire body. The sparring with Lucario was showing results as his muscles were slowly forming everywhere.

Then there were his adolescent changes. And Ash quickly found out that wielding the gift of being a natural Aura user sped things in this department too. Apart from the pleasant changes between his legs, there were the other ones too. Let's say that it wasn't only on his head where the hair was starting to grow. Legs, armpits, crotch area had some hair there already too. And his chin was starting to itch too. All in all, Arceus was right when he said that Ash'll be indistinguishable 3 years from his death. At least if this process will continue for the other 32 months.

 _"How are you holding up Ash?"_ asked Mewtwo.

"Huh? What do you mean?" replied Ash.

 _"You are locked in here for 4 months already."_ said Mewtwo.

"Yeah... It's hard. But I'm slowly getting used to this." replied Ash. And he truly was. But the fact that he was missing his friends and mother and all the people was still there.

 _"Just hang in there."_ said Pikachu in his pokespeech as Ash just smiled.

Ash already began trying to understand the pokespeech of the Pokemon. And since he already understood Pikachu somehow, he started with him. And it took only a few days and he was already able to understand every word Pikachu was saying. Even though he hasn't started to manifest the link between them. Ash needs to be able to control the Aura for this a little better then he can right now. His training was progressing slowly, but steadily so far. His fighting skills weren't something to great, but Lucario taught him some tricks. He trained his sensing most of the time when he wasn't sparring. And he was getting great at it. He could sense life hundreds of meters from his original spot if he meditates. Not so much when he casually closes his eyes, but at least he can scan his cave with only eyes closed. But when he meditates. Phew. A single stem of grass inside the cave tunnels in Mount Coronet hundreds of meters away from the spot he is doesn't escape his sight. Ash was beginning to love the meditation. That was the place where all of his worries just doesn't exist. That's the place where he can relax from the burden he bears. It feels great. Even though he is slowly mastering the art of Aura Sensing, he still doesn't know what purpose does the tattoo on his body serve. Since his "dream" the tattoo didn't glow. And he didn't have a similar dream too which saddened Ash slightly. Which teenager wouldn't want to see naked Sinnoh champion? But what can you do when the Aura powers are old God knows how long and there is basically zero information about what it can do.

 _"So Ash. What kind of cake would you like Mewtwo to steal?"_ asked Pikachu after slight pause.

"What? What do you mean by this." asked Ash.

 _"Why should I be stealing a cake?"_ asked through telepathy Mewtwo.

 _"Come on Ash. You thought that your best buddy would forget your birthday? I'm hurt."_ said Pikachu in his pokespeech.

"Wau. I completely forgot about that." said Ash as he rubbed the back of his head sheepishly.

 _"Well I didn't."_ said Pikachu.

 _"When does he have birthday?"_ asked Lucario in his pokespeech. Lucario was the 2nd one who Ash learned to understand without telepathy or the link right now.

 _"One week from now."_ replied Pikachu.

"Mewtwo. You don't need to steal anything. I'll give all of us a day off and we can celebrate by playing some games and just enjoy the day here. We stole enough things already." said Ash to the Pokemon trio.

 _"It's_ 'Mewtwo _stole enough things already_ ' _."_ said Mewtwo.

"Mewtwo. We are in this together. If you steal for us, we all steal." replied Ash.

 _"Nicely said. So what cake WE'LL steal."_ said Pikachu.

 _"Hmm... I like strawberry one. Kellyn gave me this one one time and it was delicious."_ said Lucario.

 _"Meh. I like the chocolate one is better."_ said Pikachu.

"Guys! Nobody is stealing anything. We don't need a cake." said Ash.

 _"Ash. We don't want to steal balloons, gifts or any of that stuff. I know you don't like the fact we are stealing. But. It's just one simple cake. I know birthdays are important for humans. And birthday cake belongs on birthday parties. If we are going to be locked here for the next 32 months training like maniacs and going through hell and back every single training day, I think we all deserve a proper birthday party with a birthday cake. Especially you."_ said Pikachu.

"... How long did you train that speech?" asked Ash.

 _"Long enough to ensure that we have a proper birthday party."_ said Pikachu.

"... Ok then. ONE cake. Nothing else. Nothing more. I don't need to increase the debt I have already."

 _"You mean the debt WE have."_ said Lucario.

"Okay. Okay. Debt WE have." said Ash chuckling slightly.

 _"I'm going to look for that cake tomorrow. Let's just relax a little for now."_ said Mewtwo telepathically. He was so exhausted from the training against Pikachu and Charizard. Those two were truly monsters. Mewtwo's stomach still hurts from the Iron Tail he received from Pikachu. Even when Gardevoir healed him. Damn that yellow mouse and orange dragon.

* * *

 **1 months later**

"You want me to fight with a stick?" asked Ash as he examined the stick Lucario gave him.

 _"It's not a stick. It's called Bo. And yes I want to teach you how to fight with it."_ replied Lucario in pokespeech

"... Interesting. And how do you know how to fight with it? I don't recall seeing you fight with... Bo." asked Ash.

 _"I didn't fight with a Bo. However..."_ said Lucario as he formed bone like staff between his paws.

"Ohhhh. I see. So. Is this the end of my hand to hand fight training?" asked Ash.

 _"No. But we'll add this to the mix. I think mastering at least one weapon be useful for you."_ replied Lucario.

"Speaking of this weapon. How did you get it?" asked Ash. He had a suspicion. But he hoped that they made at least this. It's a wooden stick after all.

 _"...That's not important."_ answered Lucario.

"Lucario! I thought you would hate stealing as much as I do. You know. You being honorable and all." said Ash.

 _"Ash. I hate stealing too. But what can we do? We have to survive and prepare for the battle somehow. This is our only option. Everything we do is for a greater good. My honor has to take a backseat for the time we are here."_ replied Lucario.

"... You really have answers for everything." said Ash with a chuckle at the end.

 _"Most of the time. So grab that Bo and let's get started!"_ said Lucario.

* * *

 **7 months later**

"Lucario. We have to talk." said Ash.

 _"Yes?"_ asked Lucario.

"How and why did you do it?" asked Ash.

 _"I... I don't know what you are talking about..."_ said nervous Lucario.

"Lucario... out with it. What happened?" asked Ash.

"..." Lucario didn't answer.

"Is it about her again?" asked Ash. This time Lucario got visibly nervous. He hit the nerve.

"..." Lucario was still quiet. He doesn't want to talk about it.

"Come on Lucario. What did he do to your precious Gardevoir that you beat him up like that?" asked Ash.

"..." again Lucario didn't say anything.

"Ok then. Maybe I should ask her." said Ash as he was making his way to the Gardevoir. But Lucario jumped in front of him and stopped Ash.

 _"No Please. It's just. Infernape said some things to her that you should not say to a lady. We got into a fight over that. It was just a verbal one in the beginning. But it escalated quickly into a battle. I got carried away a little. Just don't tell her about this. She doesn't know I beat him up. And we still don't talk to each other much."_ said Lucario in pokespeech ashamed of himself.

"You know. Infernape is one of the strongest Pokemon here. And you've got him on that medic towel of ours. I am actually proud of you. But you should really do something about you and Gardevoir. It's a year already. Why are you so afraid? She finds you hot. That's a good thing. Right?" asked Ash.

During the days off, Lucario spent his time with Ash rather than the others. All of them formed groups and were enjoying their days off and chatting with each other. But Lucario was still training or mentoring Ash. Closest friends he had here were Pikachu and Mewtwo. And even those two spent their time with Charizard most of the time. It made sense. They trained with each other after all. He was a lone wolf in a group. Similiar to Ash's Noctowl. With the difference that Lucario is with Ash most of the time.

 _"We don't have time for this kind of stuff right now Ash. And on top of that. I'm afraid. I still don't know anything about these sort of things. When this whole Team Rocket thing will be over, I'll do something about it. Until then. I'll just make sure that everyone treats her like they should. With respect. She is too kind to smack them in the face. Someone has to do that instead of her."_ answered Lucario.

"That'll be at least two years of just starring at her from the distance." said Ash.

 _"I don't mind that. I am a patient Pokemon. And...How do you humans say it? Some things are worth waiting for?"_ said Lucario.

"Yeah... Some things are worth waiting for indeed." said Ash.

That sentence captures even Ash's thoughts right now. He was here a whole year now. And he just can't wait to get back home. Meet mom again. Eat her delicious food. Man. Just thinking about her cooking makes Ash hungry. Meet his friends again. Especially Brock. His brother in everything just not in blood. Watch him trying to impress every girl he meets. Hear Gary's witty remarks. Listen to wise words of professor Oak. Even being yelled at by Paul and Cynthia. All these small things Ash missed the most. He hopes that the wait will be worth it when he'll see those people again.

There is one thing that'll make things a little harder for every single one of them though. Ash changed. He is still his sarcastic witty self but his body is completely different now. And it is still changing. His hair was no longer in his usual messy state. They were long, reaching his shoulders now. He even has a full-fledged bristle on his face now. And not only that but his eyes were now much sharper than before. His big oval eyes changed into the much sharper look. To top it all of he now could see a tint of blue in his eyes. Lucario said that constant using of Aura can cause this change in human eyes. But Lucario was never certain of that. Now it looked like he was right. And with this constant training, his muscles were forming at slow, but consistent rate. And puberty was hitting him from every direction too. There was his height for example. He didn't register this at first, but he was getting taller. Much taller then he expected. He had over 165 cm already. And he was still growing. And on the subject of things growing. That thing between his legs was getting still bigger and bigger too. And at a much faster rate than he anticipated.

But one thing that was getting more and more annoying were his hair on the other places of his body. His arms start to form some hair by now but it wasn't even visible. His legs, on the other hand, were already covered in small strings of hair. But the most irritating hair was on his armpits and crotch area. Not long, but long enough to irritate his skin. His chest was starting to grow some too. If it'll go like this, he'll become a true cave man.

And his voice was getting an interesting makeover too. His usually happy voice was fading. Right now his voice in what he calls 'troll mode'. Sometimes he has his usual voice, but then his voice jumps into a territory of deep harsh voice that would terrify some little kids. This is puberty enforced by Aura ladies and gentleman.

"Let's get to sparring Ash." said Lucario. Both of them can let go of these thoughts there.

"With or without a Bo?" asked Ash as his voice was jumping from one tone to another.

"Let's go without a Bo this time." said Lucario.

Then both of them get into their stances in a cave and were ready to duke it out. But Lucario stopped Ash before they began.

"Ash. The scarf." said Lucario to Ash.

"You just have to make it unfair don't you." said Ash sarcastically. He then went to his backpack still lying in the middle of the cave. Ash now wore a simple black shirt and blue pants. Mewtwo had to go shopping because as he was getting taller and taller, and he needed new clothes all the time. So his Sinnoh jacket was in the bottom of the backpack buried under his newer stolen clothes that were already small to him too. On top of Ash's small clothes was his green cloak that still could cover his whole body and that grey scarf.

But since Ash doesn't go out of the cave, he is using the scarf for a different purpose. His skills in Aura skyrocketed and he was able to sense with eyes closed almost perfectly. The whole cave at least. But still. When he has time to meditate during the Sundays it still feels the best. He could now sense even the area around the mountain. The Pokemon that are there. People on their tours around the mountain. Trees growing slowly. All of this. But it is a long process to get to that point. He has to stay still and be relaxed for at least 2 hours to get a sight of that scale. But it is worth it. For him at least. This is his only connection to the world outside.

But this wasn't the only ability he mastered during the year he was here. He could finally understand every single Pokemon's pokespeech inside the cave. It wasn't very hard to learn that. The pattern is similar for every Pokemon so it took a few months to learn that for every one of them.

However, then there was the Aura Link. It was much harder here. His other Pokemon don't have the ability to control aura. So it was all on him to try and connect to them. And he connects to every single one of them differently. As Lucario said when he was Riolu. _'Aura is tightly connected to emotions.'_ That gave Ash an idea. Charizard always went through some emotional dilemma when the link activated. So Ash tried to empathize with Charizard every single day after training trying to stabilize the link. It took some time but when Ash understood truly understood what Charizard was going through he was able to stabilize the link and they could communicate when necessary. It was a gigantic step forward. Even Lucario didn't know how exactly to do that. He only knew Guardians were able to do that. And Ash found out the way how.

After this Ash repeated the process with his closest Pokemon. Pikachu was first and it went pretty fast there. In a week they had the link established. Then there was Sceptile, Infernape, and Bulbasaur. He managed to establish the link with them too even though it was much harder with them. He is now working on a link between him and Snorlax in his spare time on Sundays.

And then there was the fighting. He was able to master everything Lucario threw at him so far. But they still had a long road ahead of themselves. He can fight and hold his own for a certain amount of time against Lucario. Lucario isn't using any Pokemon attacks of course. Just a hand to hand spar. Or Bone Rush vs. Bo spars. In these, he still is getting his ass handed to him. He'll become better in a future hopefully.

There are still so many things to learn though. Manifesting and using Aura as Aura Spheres'll be a pain in the ass. And Psychic resistance training from Mewtwo'll be one hell of a training. Mewtwo will be probably even more merciless then Lucario.

Even though Ash came a long way, his Pokemon didn't fall behind. So many of them evolved already. Mainly his water Pokemon. Two of them evolved at the same time when they were fighting each other. Croconaw and Corpfish both evolved to Feraligatr and Crawdaunt 4 months ago. Then there was his Buizel who was getting frustrated that he couldn't evolve. So he asked Ash for some strong training partner so he could finally reach the potential to evolve. And since that day, Buizel was at the mercy of Tyranitar. And boy did he got rekt. And after several days of constant beating and losing, Buizel finally evolved into Floatzel. It didn't help against Tyranitar much, but he could at least hold himself against her a little longer. Then there was the last evolution that happened 4 days ago. His Aron evolved into Lairon. Even though Aron was the youngest of the group, he was fired up for training since he could understand what that word meant. And since he was so young, he was usually training with Bulbasaur since he was something like an adoptive dad to Aron. Bulbasaur went very easy on him all the time. If Bulbasaur would go all out he would probably kill poor Aron. Many underestimate Bulbasaur's strength, but he is one of the strongest Pokemon Ash has.

But back to Ash and Lucario. Ash picked up the grey scarf and went back to Lucario. He then wrapped the scarf around his head, covering his eyes with the scarf in a process. Ash closed his eyes and began to focus on the surroundings. Immediately he sensed every single living thing in the cave.

 _"Ready?"_ asked Lucario. Lucario was talking in pokespeech to Ash most of the time. The talking through the Aura Link takes some concentration to perform. So this is much easier to do. Aura Link is useful for private conversation. It has some use in Pokemon battles too but nothing else pretty much.

"Come at me, Romeo." taunted Ash blinded by the scarf.

And they began. Lucario jumped at Ash with impressive speed and tried to kick him on the head, but Ash blocked it with him both hands up. Lucario then used Ash hands as a platform to bounced off and backflipped back. Now in a reaching distance, Lucario tried to punch Ash in the face, but Ash blocked it again with his two hands. Lucario then spun around and tried to kick Ash on Ash's side but Ash dropped one hand and blocked it again.

Lucario then jumped back from Ash.

"Are you going to attack me or what?" asked Lucario.

"Chill Lucario. I'm warming up." said Ash back.

"Warm up is over." said Lucario.

And in a completely different speed then before, Lucario was in front of Ash in an instant and spun around kicking Ash into the stomach. The force of the impact forced Ash to slide a few meters back. But it didn't hurt much now. The first time Lucario did this he thought he's going to throw up his lunch. But after a few times, he got used to this.

Unfortunately, Ash didn't have time to think much about it because Lucario then jumped so high that he was at the ceiling of the cave. He then bounced off the ceiling at even faster speed than before and was ready to strike Ash on the head with a powerful kick.

But thankfully Ash jumped of the way at the last second. But as he was sliding away Lucario was in front of him again. Aiming a punch at his stomach. Ash now caught Lucario's paw, made a step aside and twisted Lucario's paw forcing him to lie on the ground as Ash stepped on him and was holding his paw in both of his hands.

"Not bad for a blind man don't you think?" asked Ash confidently to Lucario beneath him.

Lucario just smirked at this. He flicked his legs forcing Ash to trip over and fall to the ground. And in a blink of an eye, Lucario had Ash beneath him in the same scenario Ash had Lucario before.

 _"Not bad Ash. But not good enough either."_ said Lucario.

 _"Damn. So close..."_ thought Ash. He was so close to his first win today. He changed his strategy to fight against Lucario. He was always the one who was attacking like Lucario did now. But he didn't have enough speed to catch Lucario off guard. And even the defense wasn't going to make the cut. Hopefully, it'll change in the next two years.

* * *

 **2 years later**

"Are you giving up?" asked the man with a long, big black beard and blue sharp eyes. This man was now holding his staff against Lucario's neck from behind.

 _"...Yes."_ answered Lucario.

"Marvelous. So. What's the score for the Bo training today?" asked the man in a deep voice Lucario as he let go of Lucario.

 _"... 12:2... for you."_ said Lucario in a defeated tone.

"You are getting out of shape Lucario." said the man. As the man said this an enormous tremor was heard.

"I think people had to hear this tremor back in the village few kilometers from here." said the man.

 _"Well, you better stop them right now. It's the end of our training session anyway."_ said Lucario to the man.

"Yeah... How did you enjoy our last training session Lucario?" said the man as he was making his way with Lucario by his side to the source of the tremors.

 _"You mean how I enjoyed getting beaten in basically every single spar we had today?"_ asked Lucario.

"Aww. Come one. Don't be so grumpy." replied the man as they continued their walk to the source of tremors.

A lot has happened during another 2 years. Ash was no longer Ash. There is nothing that would remind you of that 13-year old cheerful kid from Pallet Town. Visually at least. No. Even though he was just 16 years old now, he looked on 25 at least. Lean muscular build, full grown long black beard that reached his collar bone, sharp blue eyes, long black hair that were nearly reaching his waist. Skin pale as the snow outside of the cave and not a single trace of his former Z marks on his cheeks. And a voice deep enough to scare full grown man if Ash would want to intimidate them. The fact that he has over 190 centimeters could help the intimidation process too.

 _"Do you think we are ready?"_ asked Lucario.

"I hope so. It's time." said Ash.

Lucario and Ash both reached the source of the tremors. And as they expected they found Pikachu, Charizard, and Mewtwo. All three of them were completely drained. And not only them. When Ash looked around all of his Pokemon were drained to their last bit of energy. After all. This is the last training session. They've put heir heart and soul into these battles.

Ash was very proud of every single one of them. Nearly all of his Pokemon all evolved during those 3 years thankfully. Feebas was next Pokemon who evolved inside the cave. Her training partner was Kingler when he wasn't training with others. And even though Kingler isn't the smartest Pokemon, he was one hell of a trainer for handicapped Feebas. Kingler made sure that Feebas overcame her disability and that she is able to Tackle him even with a broken fin. And Kingler's training and patience paid off. After a lot of training Feebas evolved into a majestic Milotic. But she wasn't an ordinary looking Milotic. One of her hair like fins was much shorter than the other. But it didn't matter to her now. She was able to move freely finally. All of this happened because of the patience that Kingler had with her. Now she can finally have normal Pokemon battles with him. She has a lot of things to thank him for. Luxio evolved next. Luxio evolved into Luxray when Ash let Pikachu train with her instead of his usual training buddies. With the constant teasing from Pikachu who wouldn't have tried to evolve and murder that son of a bitch. And since Luxray and Quilava were the usual sparring partners, Quilava didn't want to fall behind and after few matches against Luxray, she evolved too. Then there was the other not fully evolved training duo. Gabite and Metang. And even though Gabite was winning most of the matches, Metang evolved first and through some miracle, and to add a cherry on the top, when Metang evolved into Metagross his accuracy increased too. So the tables turned. Now Gabite was receiving the beating. It took 2 years since Gabite's first evolution to evolve further. But when he finally managed to do it. Man, was he a force to be reckoned with. Matches between Garchomp and Metagross were one hell of a show. And the last Pokemon that evolved was Lairon. And it was a recent evolution too. He evolved just 2 months ago. and even though he was now much bigger and physically stronger than Bulbasaur, Bulbasaur still wiped a floor with his adoptive son during their matches. That left only two Pokemon who didn't evolve. Pikachu and Bulbasaur of course. And neither of them wanted to evolve. So this was Ash's final team. And Ash tried his hardest to ensure that every single one of them was as strong as they can be. And they truly were. The cave was in constant tremors from the battles that were going on in there.

"Guys. You can rest. Training has ended." said Ash to his Holy Trinity.

All three Pokemon let a sigh of relief as they dropped to their knees. Ash, tired from his own training, then asked Mewtwo for a favor.

"Mewtwo. I know you are tired. But could you please remove the boulder entrance? I want to go outside for a moment."

 _"Sure. Just give me a moment."_ said Mewtwo through telepathy. It took a while but Mewtwo, Charizard and Pikachu recover after some time and Mewtwo was finally able to stand and go to the boulder entrance with Ash and Lucario. Of course, as soon as Pikachu had the energy, he jumped back at Ash's shoulder and went with them. They stopped for the Ash's cloak and scarf and then they made their way to the boulder. Mewtwo picked up the boulder with Psychic and Ash, Pikachu and Lucario went outside. Right into the everlasting blizzard on Mount Coronet. Mewtwo closed the entrance and went to rest up for a bit with Charizard after that ridiculous match.

Ash went to the edge of the snowy mountain and looked into the distance. He start to think about all the stuff he went through these 3 years.

* * *

 _Flashback_

 **Aura Sphere training**

 _"Focus Ash. Focus all your Aura energy into that spot. Feel the energy that is connected to emotions. And grab it. You can do it!" yelled Lucario._

 _Ash then dropped down again from the exhaustion. He tried to manifest the energy. But without those gloves he had at the Tree of beginning it was so hard._

 _"Ash! Get up!" yelled Lucario at Ash._

 _Ash was slowly pulling himself up again. He felt so sore. So tired. But by some miracle, he stood up and tried again. He formed a small orb of the size of, candy and tried to add more Aura energy into the orb but when he did, it exploded and the force threw Ash back onto the ground. He now had no energy left to pull himself back on his feet._

 _"Come on. Get up. You have to!" yelled Lucario. He knew this was hard, but he had to push him as hard as he could. They don't have much time to finish the training._

 _"I... I... ca... can't..." said Ash as he tried to get up but he just couldn't. "Just let me die." thought Ash._

 _ **"GET UP!"** yelled Lucario to him as he pulled Ash up himself._

 **Aura Shield training**

 _Ash was in a blue shield that covered him. He was tired to no end already. Few meters from him was Pikachu. Pikachu then used Quick attack and shot like a bullet against Ash. He tore the shield and hit Ash right in the stomach. Ash cough out some blood and stood up again._

 _Ash came up with a shield idea when he was training Aura Sphere. It is basically reverse Aura Sphere. All the energy in Aura Sphere stuffed into the small place in a palm. The edges of the Sphere have basically no Aura energy. So Ash was trying to reverse it. Get the energy to the edges and leaving the middle empty and expand the sphere around him._

 _And Ash realized that it is a tool he'll desperately need against Team Rocket. It would be his only defense against bullets. And since Pikachu is like a bullet when he is using Quick Attack, he thought this training could work. But for now, he was just getting crammed on by Pikachu. The shield hadn't lasted a single Quick Attack from Pikachu._

 _"Ash. It's over for today. You cough up some blood. Let's get you too Gardevoir." said Pikachu sadly._

 **Psychic resistance training.**

 _It was midnight already when he heard a light sobbing through the open window. Ash saw his mother. Crying over the tombstone in their backyard again. He felt indescribable sadness. And what was worse. He felt absolutely helpless. He was just watching his mother crying her eyes out all over again. He was then pulled out of this memory._

 _"Mewtwo! Those memories are private!" yelled angry Ash._

 _"If they are private stop me from reading them!" yelled Mewtwo as he invaded Ash's mind again._

 _End Flashback_

* * *

Ash was still looking through the blizzard into the distance. It truly was a tough training. But he wouldn't have it any other way. Those last two years particularly. The hardest time of his life without a question. But he made it. His cloak and hair flying left and right as the harsh cold wind was changing its directions every few seconds. And even when it was extremely cold outside, Ash was enjoying this. It was the first time after those 3 years he went outside of the cave.

"Are you ready guys?" asked Ash in his new deep voice. Both Pokemon simply nodded. Ash intended to go back and ask Mewtwo via Aura link to open the 'door'. But before that Ash made one last statement as he was still looking into the distance.

"Then let's put up those 3 years of hell to a good use. Team Rocket, we are coming for you."

* * *

 **Author's note. So I hope that I managed to describe how Ash's training went on during those 3 years. And as you can see Aron won the poll and he became the last Pokemon on Ash's team.**

 **Anyway, next chapter we'll see what the world was doing those 3 years and a we'll get a first look at Team Rocket most likely. Then the Ash vs. Team Rocket arc will begin.**

 **Ash's Pokemon in the cave and their moveset:**

 **Pikachu (Male) – Thunder, Quick Attack, Iron Tail, Volt Tackle**

 **Luxray (Female) – Thunder Fang, Crunch, Volt Switch, Wild Charge**

 **Bulbasaur (Male) – Vine Whip, Razor Leaf, Leech Seed, Solar Beam**

 **Meganium (Female) – Grassy Terrain, Magical Leaf, Vine Whip, Petal Dance**

 **Sceptile (Male) – Leaf Storm, Solar Beam, Leaf Blade, Double Team**

 **Torterra (Male) – Leaf Storm, Energy Ball, Rock Climb, Synthesis**

 **Feraligatr (Male) – Ice Fang, Crunch, Slash, Bulldoze**

 **Crawdaunt (Male) – Bubble Beam, Knock Off, Vice Grip, Harden**

 **Kingler (Male) – Water Gun, Metal Claw, Crabhammer, Hyper Beam**

 **Floatzel (Male) - Aqua Jet, Hydro Pump, Sonic Boom, Ice Punch**

 **Milotic (Female) – Aqua Tail, Water Pulse, Scald, Twister,**

 **Torkoal (Male) - Heat Wave, Overheat, Iron Defense. Rock Slide**

 **Typhlosion (Female) – Flamethrower, Eruption, Aerial Ace, Swift**

 **Infernape (Male) – Overheat, Flare Blitz, Mach Punch, Dig**

 **Charizard (Male) – Flamethrower, Dragon Rage, Dragon Tail, Seismic Toss**

 **Noctowl (Male) – Confusion, Sky Attack, Air Slash, Extrasensory**

 **Swellow (Male) – U-Turn, Roost, Aerial Ace, Double Team**

 **Staraptor (Male) – Quick Attack, Wing Attack, Brave Bird, Close Combat**

 **Tauros x30 (Males) – Fissure, Take Down, Horn Attack, Zen Headbutt**

 **Snorlax (Male) – Ice Punch, Rest, Hyper Beam, Body Slam**

 **Donphan (Male) – Rollout, Earthquake, Take Down, Hyper Beam**

 **Gliscor (Male) – X-Scissor, Fire Fang, Giga Impact, Stone Edge**

 **Heracross (Male) – Megahorn, Sleep Talk, Focus Punch, Hyper Beam**

 **Muk (Male) – Sludge Bomb, Body Slam, Mud Bomb, Acid Spray**

 **Toxicroak (Male) – Sludge Wave, Poison Jab, Sucker Punch, Low Sweep**

 **Glalie (Male) – Ice Beam, Shadow Ball, Protect, Crunch**

 **Garchomp (Male) – Dig, Slash, Dragon Rush, Draco Meteor**

 **Sableye (Male) – Shadow Ball, Power Gem, Will-O-Wisp, Detect**

 **Lucario (Male) – Aura Sphere, Blaze Kick, Bone Rush, Force Palm**

 **Metagross (Genderless) - Meteor Mash, Gyro Ball, Psychic, Flash Cannon**

 **Aggron (Male) – Metal Claw, Metal Sound, Iron Head, Thunderbolt**

 **Weavile (Female) – Night Slash, Metal Claw, Hidden Power, Blizzard**

 **Absol (Female) – Night Slash, Razor Wind, Attract, Fire Blast**

 **Tyranitar (Female) – Stone Edge, Earthquake, Dark Pulse, Dragon Claw**

 **Gardevoir (Female) – Teleport, Light Screen, Calm Mind, Heal Pulse**

 **Mewtwo (Male) – Psystrike, Psychic, Dream Eater, Hypnosis**

 **That's it for now.**

 **Reviews are appreciated.**


	11. Setting the stage: The Crimson Decade

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Pokemon or any of these characters.**

 **Author's note: Another chapter. This time we'll have a little break from the cave and we'll focus on the stuff in the world outside of Mount Coronet during those 3 years and a little after that.**

 **Also. I am tired of calling the place where Ash stayed 'The Cave' and since someone gave me suggestion a while back that I should give this cave a name, I'll make a poll for you to decide how the cave will be named. I have 3 names in mind so It's up to you to choose which one it'll be.**

"classic conversation"

 _"thoughts"_

 **That is all for now. Enjoy.**

* * *

 **VII. Setting the stage: The Crimson Decade**

Viridian City. The first major stop for the trainers who start their journey in Kanto region was swarming with people now. Being the second closest city to Indigo Plateau caused the people from around the world to accommodate in the city. The reason for this is quite simple. The death of Ash Ketchum. Even after the ceremony for Ash, this place was still full of foreign people from all around the world. Ash became a legend. The boy who nearly beat legends. And one of those foreign persons was now heading back to the Pokemon center where she is staying with her grandma.

The first visit in Delia's house the day after the ceremony didn't go really well. It wasn't because Delia and Cynthia would get into the fight or any of that stuff. But Ash's death was still a hot topic. And it was brought up several times resulting in a sad atmosphere and eventually even in quite crying of Delia. Cynthia somehow managed to hold it back and was soothing Delia.

So after the first visit, Cynthia wanted only one thing. One steaming bath to let herself relax a little bit. Kanto is a lot warmer then Sinnoh so she was sweating a lot during her visit here. Even when she changed her wardrobe for this occasion. So as soon as she got into the Pokemon center she went straight for the bathroom and immediately begun to fill the bathtub with hot steaming water and undressing. As she was undressing she thought to herself _"What were we to each other exactly?"_. Sure they were friends but as Delia pointed out two days ago. There was something more. She thought about it for a moment but she let this thought slide away eventually. Partially because she is scared of the truth. And partially because thinking about Ash just brings back that terrifying day she witnessed that storm on radar. But. When she went to check herself in the mirror she could swear she heard Ash's voice in her head shouting her name.

Surprised Cynthia latched on this string of hope and asked the voice in her head back. But unfortunately, nothing was heard. She then just shook it off. Ash's dead. It was just her wishful thinking that he was alive somewhere. Bath itself was very pleasant. Steaming water really worked and she could let her thoughts flow free from the guilt she felt over Ash's death.

After about half an hour, Cynthia was clean. She was going to dress but the bell rang at that moment.

"Who's there?" Cynthia asked. Normally she would just open the door. But she is wrapped in a white towel and doesn't want anyone to see her naked. Even though most people wouldn't guess it, she hates when someone sees her in underwear or towel like this. The weird thing is she has no problem with a bikini.

"Lance. I need to have a word with you." said the person behind the door.

"Give me a moment, please. I'll get dressed and then we'll talk." said Cynthia.

"OK"

Cynthia then got dressed. She bought a lot of turquoise blouses and knee-long brown trousers because of the heat here in Kanto. So this was her traditional outfit here. As soon as she got dressed she opened the door and invited Lance in.

"You have a perfect timing I have to say. I just got out of the bathtub." said the fifteen-year-old champion of Sinnoh.

"Sorry about that." said politely the twenty-five-year-old spiky red-haired Kanto and Johto champion. Double champion was in his usual blue suit with orange striped and black cape. Cynthia lead Lance into the room and offered him a seat on the coach which Lance gladly took.

"Can I get you something? Tea? Cookies?" asked Cynthia.

"Do you have some beer here?" asked Lance hopefully.

"Lance. I'm a fifteen and live here with a strict grandmother who is an abstinent. What do you think?" asked Cynthia. And this man is supposed to be smart...

"Yeah. Sorry. But in my defense. A lot of people in your age group drink this stuff already." responded Lance politely trying to joke around a little bit.

"I'm not like most people." said Cynthia. She is really different from other teenagers. I mean which 15-year old girl has an archeology for a hobby, is incredibly moody, despise alcohol and is a Champion of a Pokemon league. She already has a reputation for being the Ice Queen of Sinnoh by the media. And it's not because of the cold Sinnoh region. Not the primary reason at least. It just seems like every time there is someone interested in her she just tells them simple no and goes away. She just seemed like a star that the boys can't reach no matter how much they try. And the fact that she is considered strongest of the champions and is loved by everybody just add to the 'Queen' part of her title. It's amazing that so much fame didn't poison her mind. She was really mature for her age.

"I know." said Lance politely.

"So what can I give you? Apart from alcohol." asked Cynthia.

"Well since you don't have that I guess a glass of water will do." replied Lance. And as he ordered in a minute Cynthia came from the kitchen with a glass of water.

"Thanks." said Lance as he took a sip from his glass.

"You're welcome. So what do you want to talk about?" asked Cynthia.

"There are two things actually. First thing is about you being the Kanto Champion instead of me." said Lance.

"Thanks for the offer, but you do realize I am already a Champion of Sinnoh right?" asked Cynthia. That was really a strange and unusual offer.

"I do know that. But. I don't think you can hold off the title against Tobias." replied Lance.

"What makes you think so?" asked curious Cynthia.

"Don't perceive this in a wrong way. I know that you could give him a run for his money as Ash did." replied Lance. This sentence grounded Cynthia a little. His mere name was painful to hear. Lance then resumed. "But you would have to train a lot to give him a decent match. And I don't think you are interested in training. Neither in the battle against Tobias. Not after the recent events." Lance finished his sentence as he took another sip from his glass.

"You are smart after all." whispered Cynthia to herself. But Lance heard some murmur from her.

"What did you say?" asked Lance.

"N...Nothing." Cynthia replied nervously. She should control her tongue better.

"You are right. I don't want to battle or train anytime soon. But how do you want me to become the Kanto Champion? And why?" asked Cynthia.

"Simple really. There is a certain rule. As the Champion of another region, you have the option to challenge every other Champion for the Champion title. It would go like this. We would have a match, you would win and you would become a champion of the Kanto region. I already asked Goodsnow about this. He is completely fine with that. Now it's for you to decide if you want this. And as for why... You'll find out in a moment." explained Lance as he took another sip from the glass of water on the table. This kind of rule was in rules of the Pokemon league for decades. But nobody paid attention to it. Mainly because being Champion of one region is stressful enough already. Arranging Pokemon conference, preparing the stadiums for said conference, challengers left and right, and being a public figure for the said region in media is a lot of work. Now if you double it you have no free time whatsoever. And Lance would like to reduce his responsibilities to the league now.

"Just a battle and that's all? I would have thought that there would be more to it." replied surprised Cynthia.

"It should be. You should go through an Elite Four first. But there is no doubt that you are much better at Pokemon battles then me, Steven or any member of our Elite Four. Even in the state you are in right now. So we kinda scratched that out. And since you are so popular with everybody Goodsnow doesn't want to lose you like that. You are a role model for every young trainer in the world of Pokemon battles now. And to top it all of. If you haven't realise it yet your mere presence brings league a lot of money and popularity. This way you'll still be a Champion and Pokemon league will still bloom." replied Lance.

"You can refuse of course. But a world would lose one of the best battlers that walked on this planet." said Lance.

"I'll think about it." replied the blonde haired beauty. It's a little complicated for her. Being a Champion is great, but she is a Champion mainly because it gives her access to the old documents and access to the old ruins of Sinnoh to examine them. If she would decline the offer she would undeniably lost all of this. To top it all of, being in Kanto would enable Cynthia to help Delia to cope with her loss. But, on the other hand, she just doesn't want to be Champion for the sake of being one. It just isn't right to take advantage of the offer Lance gave her now. Be a Champion just because of money. That's just not right.

"Take your time. But we must hear the answer before your battle against Tobias. Now to my second question." replied Lance who pulled a white envelope from his cape and handed it to Cynthia. She looked at Lance and he simply said. "Open it."

And so she did. She opened the envelope and inside was a card of sort. She read the card carefully. Her eyes winded and she then looked at Lance. It wan an invitation.

"You are getting married?!" asked Cynthia completely confused.

"Surprise." replied Lance with a chuckle.

"Congratulations! But how did it happen? We all thought you were single the whole time." replied confused Cynthia. Everybody thought that Lance was a loner of sorts. That he wouldn't want to settle down. But it seems like they got him completely wrong. She of course was happy for him. But it was really a shocker.

"Well. It's not really hard to date someone from your own Elite Four and keep it secret." said Lance calmly as he took the last sip from his glass of water.

"Wow. I had no idea. I applaud you on that because it's nearly impossible to keep media out of my own personal life. But still. I thought that you would end up alone or with Clair. You know. As you two are close and dragons and all that around." said Cynthia.

"Ble. Gross." said Lance disgusted by what Cynthia said.

"What? What's so wrong about her? She seems nice." asked Cynthia completely oblivious to one certain thing.

"She is nice. But I really don't want to marry my cousin, Cynthia." replied Lance with a little chuckle.

"Oh sorry. I... I didn't know that." replied nervously and embarrassed Cynthia. She should put more research onto Champions.

"Anyway will you come to my and Lorelei's wedding? You can bring a guest if you want. There should be enough space for us all." asked Lance.

"I would love to. But I can't promise anything." Cynthia said. This could be the opportunity to try and relax a little for a while. She'll finally be able to do something else than beat herself over Ash's death all the time. She could bring Delia too. Delia needs something to distract her from the fact that Ash is not here anymore too. To be honest both of them need that.

"Well. That's everything I wanted to tell you." said Lance. He looked at Cynthia and then continued. "... Whatever you are going through. I hope you'll get over it soon. We need you." said Lance as he got up and was getting ready to go back to his duties as Champion. He talked with Cynthia several times over the years. And there was something very wrong with her. He doesn't have to be a detective to figure that out. Even though he is one. All of it is because of Ash's death. He left an impact on all of them. Even on Lance himself. It's sad what happened to him.

"I don't think it's possible..." murmured Cynthia to herself as the Sinnoh Champion got up and saw Lance off at the door.

* * *

 **3 months later**

"Dragonite, Dragon Claw!" yelled Lance.

"Garchomp, Dragon Rush!" yelled Cynthia.

Both Pokemon charged their attacks and flew towards each other. Garchomp enveloped in a blue aura resembling a dragon and Dragonite with his elongated blueish claws clashed. After a little tug war, Garchomp overpowered Dragonite resulting in a huge explosion in Indigo Plateau. When the smoke finally cleared, it was clear who was the winner of this match.

"Dragonite is unable to battle. Champion Lance is out of the usable Pokemon. Which means that the winner of this match and the new Champion of Kanto region is Cynthia Shirona!" announced referee.

The stadium erupted in cheers for their new Champion. The Indigo stadium was filled till the last seat. A battle between two champions is nothing you see every day. And a spectacular battle it was. Even though Cynthia only lost her Spiritomb, Lucario, and Milotic. After those 3 Cynthia let her Garchomp out and what a beast that dragon is. Lance stood no chance against Garchomp even with 3 Pokemon left.

Cynthia and Lance then recalled their Pokemon and made their way into the middle of the battlefield. They shook hands and then Cynthia spoke.

"I really hope that you gave it you're all. I don't want to be the False Champion." said Cynthia.

Lance chuckled and said. "I did. But as I said before. You are strongest of us right now. There was a very little chance that I had to beat you."

"You underestimate yourself Lance." said Cynthia.

"No, darling. You underestimate yourself." replied Lance with a chuckle.

"DON'T. CALL. ME. DARLING. EVER. AGAIN. ARE WE CLEAR?" replied Cynthia in dangerous and terrifying voice. And it did its job.

"O... Okay. Just. Calm down. Okay? It was just a little joke." said nervous Lance. Even when he is 10 years older than her, she really could make you shit yourself if she wants to. It seems like she is allergic to that word. Both of them then went to the exit from the stadium.

"Very bad joke. So. How are the wedding preparations." asked Cynthia in a normal tone again as they were walking.

"Chaotic. 1 month to go and we still have so many things to sort out that we are losing our minds over that." replied Lance. Lorelei wants a big wedding so the chaos is just amplified by that. Not to mention that so many people are invited there. It'll be a miracle if the wedding ends up without disasters.

"Don't worry. I'm sure it'll be great." replied Cynthia.

* * *

 **1 months later**

The door opened and Lance came in the room. It was a room for the official Pokemon League meetings in Kanto. The room itself was nothing spectacular. Table with 5 chairs all around with one on the tip of the table. Wooden floor and white walls. The room was simple and ordinary. And Lance just returned from his honeymoon after the wedding and was eager to get back to work.

"Ahhh. Lance. Welcome back. How was your honeymoon?" asked Charles Goodsnow who sat on the end of the table for the meetings.

"Don't even ask..." said Lance.

"Come on. It can't be the worse than the wedding itself." replied Steven jokingly who was at the wedding.

"What happened?" asked Charles. Charles had a lot of work so he couldn't attend but even when he couldn't attend the wedding he heard that it didn't go as planned.

"...Fine. Where do I even start? What about that the whole week when we were on the honeymoon it was raining and we were forced to stay in our hotel room at Kumquat Island the whole week." Lance began.

"Yeah that stinks. But. I think the honeymoon should be spent more in a bed than on the beach. If you know what I mean." said Steven with a wink.

"Yeah that's another thing. We would spend the week like that. But Lorelei's uterus said 'Fuck that. Wouldn't it be great if I would start to bleed uncontrollably during your honeymoon? You know to ruin your honeymoon.' So instead of a wonderful vacation with my beautiful bride, I was locked in a room with my wife who's mood was all over the place all the time. If it weren't for an open bar downstairs I would go crazy." said Lance.

"Lance. As funny as that story is, control your language, please. We aren't all adults here." said Charles.

"Charles. I am a girl with same problems. I think I can handle Lance talking like that." replied Cynthia who was wearing her new outfit for the warmer weather. She was a little embarrassed when she said it but she should point out that she knows very well what Lance is talking about. And curse words are mostly used by her generation anyway.

Steven meanwhile was laughing at the misfortune that met his friend. Man, he has to be the unluckiest man alive.

"And what about the wedding?" asked Charles. He was really curious if it was as disastrous as he heard.

"I don't know why I'm even telling you all of this." said Lance.

"Better to hear it from you than from newspapers don't you think?" replied Charles. He knows that Lance's wedding went public really fast. And that they surely have some information what was going on on the honeymoon and the wedding itself. He would prefer the original version than the exaggerated one in news.

"I guess... well about the wedding itself. First of all. When Lorelei was walking down the aisle her dress got stuck on some sharp rock and was torn. And as it's the bride's custom, she started to panic and made quite a scene from all of it." said Lance. Lance learned one lesson from this. Never have a wedding ceremony outside. NEVER.

 _"Poor Lorelei."_ thought Cynthia. That was supposed to be the happiest day of Lorelei's life and the wedding went south so fast. She was there too and it was truly disastrous. She even convinced Delia to come there. It wasn't easy for her but she eventually went with Cynthia. Cynthia even heard few chuckles from Delia at the misfortune of the newlyweds.

"Then when we went inside the building we booked to have a dance and we learned that one of the men in the band had the emergency call from the hospital that his best friend had a car crash so he left. Leaving us without a pianist." continued Lance.

"That doesn't sound so bad." replied Charles. You can always have a nice music even without a piano.

"He was the one who was directing the others. The band was in complete chaos after his leave." said Lance. To this Charles smiled sadly.

"Don't forget on the guy that had the allergy reaction outside during the ceremony." Steven recalled.

"Oh yeah. I nearly forgot. After the fiasco with the wedding dress we were outside and we were exchanging vows, some guy had an allergic reaction. I don't even know who he was but he had an allergic reaction to roses which were all around the garden. What kind of idiot you have to be to go on a wedding OUTSIDE and not expect roses there? That is just beyond me... In the end, an ambulance arrived and took him to the hospital as we finished the ceremony." said Lance. An ambulance on the wedding. That's the dream.

"I'm really sorry Lance." said Charles. He wanted to laugh so bad, but he had to keep it in. It was a truly funny story for him. But for Lance... it had to be a nightmare.

"I'm not finished." said Lance.

"After the dance to the song that was horribly played by the band we find out that our wedding cake just disappeared." said Lance.

"You mean that 2 meters high cake you booked 2 months prior and which took 4 whole days to make?" asked Charles in disbelief.

"Yeah, that one. He was in a separate room the whole time. But when we wanted to show the cake to the guests, it was just gone. The only thing remaining there were mine and Lorelei figures that were on top of the cake." said Lance.

"You are telling me that 2 meters high wedding cake just disappeared?" asked Charles still in disbelief what Lance was saying.

"Yeah." replied Lance. Who else in the seven hells would need a cake that big?

"I think that's all. There may be some smaller things, but they got overshadowed by all of this." said Lance.

"Maybe all of that was a good thing." said Cynthia.

"What kind of good thing can come out from any of this. A guy nearly died on our wedding because of his own stupidity, Cynthia." said Lance.

"That's true. But if you two endured all of this, then I am sure that your marriage can overcome literally anything." replied Cynthia sincerely with a smile.

Lance chuckled at this lightly and said. "Yeah. I don't think there is anything that can surprise us after this."

"So now that we got this out of the way, we should start the meeting. I have a lot of things I want to talk about."

"First of all. How is Tobias doing against your Sinnoh Elites, Cynthia?" asked Charles.

"He has already beaten Aaron, Flint, and Lucian using only his Darkrai all the time. Only Bertha is left. He has a battle with her four days from now." said now Kanto and Sinnoh Champion.

"He is taking them down faster than I thought." replied Charles.

"It was to be expected." said Lance.

"Yes. However, after Tobias's semi-final battle at the Lily of the Valley conference, I thought that some of the Elite's will be able to beat at least one of Tobias's Pokemon. I was wrong apparently." said Charles.

It was here yet again. No matter how much she wanted to forget about Ash he was still coming back in some shape or form. He left such a big mark in the world of Pokemon battles that she'll hear about him a lot most likely. Cynthia will have to get used to this. No matter how much it hurts.

"Maybe Bertha will beat his Darkrai." said Steven.

"Ahh... Yes. She has the best chances to do so." replied Charles. Bertha's undeniable intellect will surely help her in this regard. He doesn't think Bertha can stop him, but she could at least give him a challenging match. Elite Four has to hold her image if the league will want to prosper.

"Anyway. On the topic of Tobias. Do we know anything about him?" asked Charles. There weren't many pieces of information about Tobias as far as he knows. He hopes that Champions will have some information.

"Actually yes we do. I questioned him a little when he started to challenge my Sinnoh Elite Four and I have some information about him." said Cynthia.

"Would you be so kind and tell us, dear?" asked Charles.

"Of course. He is 26 years old and comes from Dandelion Island. It's a small island near the Lily of the Valley Island used mainly as a restock dock. Not many people live there. He has a small hut there from what he told me. However, he grew up in an orphanage in Veilstone City. And when he was of age he became a Pokemon trainer. That's all I know about him." said Cynthia

"That's quite a lot of information. I'll add this information to our database. Thank you, Cynthia." said Charles thankfully. He has no idea what would he do without her. As Charles finished his sentence a light knock on the door was heard. Everybody in the room was now looking on the door.

"Perfect timing. Come in." said Charles cheerfully.

The door of the room slowly opened and the person revealed itself. Into the room stepped a blue-eyed woman. And the first thing people in the room registered on her were her incredibly long, dense hair. Each side of the woman's incredibly thin body was enveloped with those hair and had a pink bow with a size of a palm at each side. The hair should be by all the laws of physics touching the ground. But they didn't. Those blonde hair were levitating slightly above the ground to the surprise of all the people in the room. This woman dressed in a white dress with some tinge of pink on the bottom of the dress made her way towards the table.

"Champions let me introduce you to Caitlin. She is a specialist on Psychic Pokemon from Unova region." Charles introduced the woman. The woman then gracefully bowed to the others and waited for the introductions.

"Caitlin these people are the Champions of the Pokemon league. First, there is Cynthia. She is the Champion of Kanto and Sinnoh region." introduced Charles his double champion.

"Pleasure to meet you." said Cynthia as she got up and shook hands with Caitlin. "Pleasure is all mine." responded 20-year old Unova beauty gracefully. When they introduced themselves Cynthia sat back.

"Secondly, there is a Champion of Johto region. Lance." Charles introduced the Dragon Master and he shook hands with Caitlin too. But nothing was said between them.

"And the last Champion here is Steven. He is the Champion of Hoenn region." Charles introduced the last member of this meeting. Steven dressed in his usual formal attire stood up and welcomed Caitlin like a true gentleman with a light kiss on Caitlin's hand. "Pleasure to meet you, Caitlin" said Steven in a seducing voice. "Thank you." said blushing Caitlin on the public display of this kind of welcome.

"Do you have to flirt with everything that moves?" asked Lance his fellow friend.

"Well. When an enchanting woman like Caitlin comes in I can't help it unfortunately." said Steven politely. To this Lance just chuckled and shook his head slightly. Cynthia, on the other hand, was observing the unusual phenomenon that was Caitlin's hair.

"Please join us at the table, Caitlin." said Charles with a sigh in the beginning. Sometimes the Champions are a tough bunch of people to keep in line. And as Charles said, red-faced Caitlin found a spot next to Cynthia and right across of Steven.

"You came just in time Caitlin. Champions, Caitlin here is the main member of the group that is overlooking the construction of the Unova's own league." said Charles

And then the meeting went on. When Caitlin calmed herself down from Steven's flirting she told the Champion's about everything that was going on in Unova. That they have the Gym leaders chosen and the Elite Four is slowly forming from the members of the group that is building the Unova league. And when Caitlin told them everything she needed, the room went silent. Then Cynthia's curious mind got the best of her and she asked.

"Caitlin. May I ask why your hair float like that?"

"Certainly. It's because of my Psychic powers." replied Caitlin in her soft graceful voice.

"Psychic powers? What do you mean?" asked Lance curiously. Everyone in the room was surprised by this statement except Goodsnow.

"It means I can move objects without touching them. I control my hair like that for example." said Caitlin closing her eyes. Everyone except Goodsnow was looking at her with disbelief. When she saw that they were trouble with believing her, she demonstrated her powers.

Her hair suddenly began moving. It looked like the wind was blowing on them, but that was impossible in this closed room. Then her hair went straight up slowly and began to braid. All on their own without any help. Slowly but surely the braid was braided with two pink bows at the end and she opened her eyes again.

"Amazing." said Steven dumbfounded by her powers.

"Caitlin here is a Psychic. She has ancient Psychic powers that a few women on our planet poses." said Charles. He knew very well that there were people with this kind of power. Sabrina and Anabel for example.

"What else can you do?" asked excited Cynthia, curious about these powers. She was always fascinated by the anomalies in the Pokemon words. Especially anomalies of the scale like this.

"Apart from telekinesis, I can read minds of other people." Caitlin said.

"Really? Then what do I think of?" asked Steven with a sly smirk at Caitlin. Steven even inlined to Caitlin. Caitlin nervously looked at him and focused for a moment on his head. And the moment she read his thoughts and opened her eyes she was as red as a tomato.

"Steven!" Caitlin yelled in a high pitched voice.

"Yep. She knows how to read minds." said Steven calmly as he threw his hands behind his head and leaned on his chair.

"God. What kind of perversion you thought of?" asked Lance.

"Do you REALLY want to know?" asked Steven.

"... Actually no. Keep it to yourself." said Lance.

"This is amazing! Do you know how you got these powers?" asked Cynthia excitedly. She now has a load of questions for Caitlin.

"It is passed down to the child from her mother. So that's the way how I got them." answered Caitlin.

Charles chuckled a little. Cynthia's enthusiasm doesn't know any borders when she discovers something new and exciting. Only at those times, you can see that she is just a 15-year old kid seeking mysteries and legends.

"Cynthia. If you are interested in this I can give you a book called PSYCHICS VS. AURA GUARDIANS: THE CRIMSON DECADE. You'll find everything you want to know there about Psychics." said Caitlin. Cynthia looked at Caitlin with a surprised expression on her face.

"Guardians? Crimson Decade?" asked Lance. He was now curious too.

"Yes. There was a time in history where Psychics were at a war with Aura Guardians. The war lasted a whole decade and took a toll on both sides of the war. The usual Blue/Black attires of the Guardians and Pink/White attires of the Psychics were after years of war were covered in dried red blood. After 11 long years of bloody war, Psychics surrendered. This is why Psychics and Aura Guardians refer to this point in time The Crimson Decade." explained Caitlin.

"Why were they at war?" asked Steven.

"It was all about Pokemon. Psychics wanted to separate the world of Pokemon from the world of humans for the protection of both. However, Aura Guardians wanted to merge the worlds and live with Pokemon in harmony. Thanks to their win, Aura Guardians set the fundamentals for how our world looks like now. If Psychics would've won the war, Pokemon would be in the wild only and we wouldn't be connected to them as we are now." explained Caitlin.

"Wow. Why are we not aware of this?" asked Steven.

"You are. It's just this war was so long ago that people read these slightly change stories as fairy tales to children." answered Charles as all eyes were now on him.

"You knew?" asked Cynthia. This was getting much more interesting than she thought it would have.

"Yes. I know few Psychics myself so they told me about this." answered Charles.

"And what about Aura Guardians? Do you know any of them?" asked Lance hooked on to this story as all the people in the room.

"Unfortunately no. The last one died approximately 4 months ago." said Charles. And immediately as he said it everyone in the room knew about whom he was talking about.

"It was only a matter of time." said sadly, Caitlin. Guardians and Psychics were on good terms now and it was truly sad what happened to them.

"What do you mean?" asked Steven.

"Aura Guardians are cursed in a way." said Caitlin.

"Cursed?" asked Lance. This story was getting even more ridiculous now.

"You see. Every Aura Guardian draws the strength from his own emotions. Aura Guardians have a special connection to different kind of emotions. Courage and honor is their priority for example. They are driven by these. Stronger the emotion, stronger the Guardian. However, the emotion that is undeniably most powerful for them is love." said Caitlin as she made a pause and then resumed talking.

"Thanks to this they are able to romantically love only one woman. One single woman. Their entire life. As soon as they fall in love, they'll never let go." explained Caitlin.

"And what is so terrible about that? Seems kinda sweet if you ask me." replied Steven.

"The problem is. The women don't reciprocate their feelings very often. Aura Guardians have this problem since the day they appeared on this planet. They were falling for the women that were already taken or married. And thanks to their honorable code, they never tried to sway those woman over. And just like that, they were slowly dying out. And The Crimson Decade amplified their extinction tremendously. When Psychics examined dead bodies of the Guardians they found marks on someones. And as soon as Psychics touched the blue mark, they felt that feeling of love. The sign of their undying love for the chosen woman. The Guardian's Curse Mark we call it. That's the reason why there are no Aura Guardians in this world now. Only lucky ones fell for a single woman who reciprocates their feelings and whom they could have children with." finished Caitlin her explanation. But. Even though it'll make sense to the Champions, to her this mark is still a mystery. Some Guardians didn't have the mark. Some had the mark. And on approximately 3 dead Guardians Psychics could see the mark shine in a bright light blue color. From the description, Caitlin imagined those 3 marks like a neon blue tattoos on those Guardians. And to confuse her even more, in PSYCHICS VS. AURA: CRIMSON DECADE book it is said that in the battle some parts of Guardians bodies glowed in a bright light blue color but had no marks on their body when they brought them back to Psychics base. The most complicated thing she encountered in a world in a while.

"Wow..." said Steven. He was lost for words. Such an incredible tale. But now he was thinking. The boy who came to him for that necklace. He was an Aura Guardian. Did he went through this?

"Well. Since you 3 are too interested in Caitlin's tales I disband this meeting. You all can go now. I'll see you next month." said Charles.

As Charles said this he left the room leaving the four Pokemon trainers in the room. He then thought to himself. Should he reveal the existence of Psychics? How would the world react? He'll have to think this through.

The four people stayed in the room. And Steven with Lance were asking a lot questions about the Crimson Decade, Guardians and Psychics. And this whole time Cynthia was just sitting there. She was just listening from the time Charles mentioned Ash's death. Ash just was coming back over and over again. It was like Arceus himself wants her to suffer. And as Caitlin continued with her story Cynthia became sadder and sadder. It just still affected her. No matter how much she wished it didn't, it still did.

"Are you OK?" Caitlin asked Cynthia. She stopped talking to Lance and Steven and went to her. She could see that there was something wrong with her.

"Yeah. I'm fine." said Cynthia as forced herself to smile on Caitlin.

Thankfully the smile worked and Caitlin bought it. "OK. So could you show me around, please? I'll be here for a while." asked Caitlin.

And Steven with Lance nodded and went with Caitlin outside to show her around. It took a few seconds before Cynthia composed herself and went with them.

* * *

 **2 years and 7 months later**

"You're doing a great job, Cynthia. Just keep stirring and it should be done in a few minutes." said Delia.

"I hope it'll be edible." said Cynthia.

"I have no doubt about that. We have been cooking a lot recently." said Delia.

A lot of things happened since the time she was introduced to Caitlin at the Pokemon League meeting.

Firstly there was Tobias. Bertha finally managed to take down that Darkrai in battle. But it was the only Pokemon she managed to beat. Then Cynthia's turn came. And she was beaten too. But she managed to beat not only Darkrai but Latios and Salamance too. So Tobias became new Sinnoh Champion. To say that he didn't have a problem with defending his title in the next two years of Pokemon League should be clear. Nobody got past his Darkrai. All in all, he is a great Champion. He is a smart, cool, collected and quiet Champion. And when Charles says something, he does that as fast as he can. Ideal Champion.

Then there was Cynthia herself as the Champion of Kanto. This event changed her life a lot. As far as battles go she is confidently defending her title. Not one of those 2 challenges that won the Indigo conference came close to beating her. Both of them have beaten her new Elite Four though. And it is refreshing to not have to take care of the 3 hot heads. Her new Elite four is composed of Lorelei. Ice specialist and Lance's wife. Bruno. The big horde of muscles that specialize in fighting type Pokemon. Agatha. Ghost specialist similar to Bertha from her former Elite four. And Koga. The poison specialist that is a fan of ninjas. It took a few days to get used to them but they eventually became great friends and co-workers.

But that wasn't the ground-breaking change that took place during those 2 years. It was the fact that she had to move here. To Kanto. There are many reasons why. For example. Champion of Kanto HAS to be in Kanto. She does have an access to the ruins and old documents here if she wants to examine something. And helping Delia is a contributing factor too.

It was hard in the beginning because of the sudden change but she eventually found a little house in Pallet Town and was living there. The hardest thing was to give a goodbye to her grandmother. But she had to. Her grandmother was a scientist in Sinnoh region and she just couldn't take her job too Kanto. Giving a goodbye to the only person that raised you is truly heartbreaking. But every kid eventually grows up and has to move from their parents. And back then it was Cynthia's time. But even though she left her only alive relative in Sinnoh, she found another wise woman who was giving her advices. And it was Delia. Cynthia visited Delia whenever she could. These two women grew closer with each day. And now they are basically best friends despite their rocky start.

Delia isn't the only new friend she made during those 2 years and 8 months. There was the Unovian Psychic too. After their meeting, Caitlin gave her the promised book. It was awkward a little in the beginning and it took some time with her but she eventually got used to her powers and they spend a lot of time together when she was on the visit when Pokemon meetings took place.

Speaking of the Unovian woman. Unova conference has a premier in 7 months. Winner will have to face the Elite Four of Unova which includes Caitlin herself. But when they finally finished the preparations for the Unova league, another region came in with a request to host the league. Kalos region officials got in touch with Charles and they showed interest in starting their own league. So Charles will have to send there someone to help them plan the Gyms, Elites etc in a week or so.

Cynthia got used to this life and was incredibly happy with how the things turned out. Too happy. Her Pokemon got a little rusty. Not that it would affect her battles to defend her title. She still beats every challenger in a Pokemon battle rather easily. But training sessions were rather rare now. It was more like a vacation for her and her Pokemon here.

And during the time here, she got a lot of time to visit old ruins all around Kanto region. She even took Delia with her few times. Delia herself found Cynthia's hobby interesting and was very glad that she was going on those trips with Cynthia. And on the other hand, Cynthia found Delia's cooking and gardening skills impressive too. So both of them were teaching each other different things. And right now it was Delia's turn to teach.

"I think it's done." said Cynthia.

"Well. Let's take it from the hotplate and have a taste." said Delia.

And they did. Cynthia carefully took the pot off the hotplate and placed the soup on a countertop. Delia took 2 bowls from the cupboard and prepared them. Cynthia then took the scoop and gave Delia and herself a portion of the soup. Delia took her bowl and Cynthia took hers and they were on their way to the living room.

"Ouch. Fuck! Again?! This happens too often lately!" yelled Cynthia as she spilled a few drops of the soup because of the impact. She then put the bowl on the table and was rubbing her hip with whom she bumped into the corner of the table.

"Cynthia! Language!" scolded Delia an 18-year old Cynthia as Delia stopped in her tracks.

"I'm sorry. But the bruise from the last time finally faded and now I'll have a new one! It's annoying. How is that even possible to hit that same corner again?" asked angry Cynthia with more of a rhetorical question. However. Delia answered.

"Small kitchen and your puberty."

"What?"

"As I said. Puberty and my small kitchen are the reasons why this is happening."

"How exactly does my puberty have anything to do with this?" asked Cynthia.

"Well. Your hips got wider. And since my kitchen is relatively small, your hips have a tendency to collide with table, counter and other stuff here. You just aren't used to the changes yet." explained Delia.

Cynthia then looked down on herself. And when she thinks about it. Yeah. Her hips got wider. A lot wider. All in all, puberty hit her hard. She got taller and was now the same height as Delia was. That was around 170 cm. She thought that she would grow a little more, but she just stopped growing for some reason. Then there was her hair. She kept her hair just like she had them before. However. Then there were the other hair. And they start to appear in the places she hoped they would not. Between her legs for example. But the most prominent change were her breasts. Ahhh yes. That magical age where woman's boobs start to grow more and more. Her breasts were developing for some time now. It looked like they wouldn't stop growing. But they eventually stopped. But nevertheless, her breasts were now pretty big. A label on her bra strap had a large E letter on it.

"... I hate my fat hips." said Cynthia.

"Cynthia. Sweetheart. You don't have fat hips. They just got wider. It's usual for your age." said Delia.

"I still hate them." said Cynthia. When her hips got wider her butt got bigger too. All in all, she just hates her lower half of body. She got used to her breast growing and be like that. But from the waist down. That's another story. So many money went on new trousers because of how fast her hips were getting wider with each day. And the fact that she grew in height a little just added to the money she had to sacrifice for her trousers. Her bras and blouses were completely another stories. Thank god Champions got paid a load of money. But eventually her hormones calmed down and she finally could have clothes that she can wear longer than a month. Even though she could get different clothes, she stuck with her turquoise blouse and brown trousers. Just a different size. She wore that outfit even right now. But apart from her adolescence changes, she looked just like her 15-year old self.

"Don't worry you'll get used to it." said Delia. Delia herself was surprised what puberty did to Cynthia. Cynthia has so many curves that Delia herself is jealous a little. She herself could only dream of a body like that. Delia was still pretty for a woman that was nearing her forties. But she never had a curvy body. Delia herself was always a lean and slim woman. She is not the extreme case of this like Caitlin, but Delia is still pretty thin.

Cynthia then picked the bowl and went with Delia to the living room to have nice lunch in front of the TV. Delia and Cynthia sat on the couch and Delia picked the spoon and tasted the soup first.

"So. How does it taste? Is it good?" asked Cynthia.

"Taste it." said Delia. Cynthia looked back at her soup and taste it too. She carefully let her tongue to taste the soup. It was an interesting flavor. And she thought that it was pretty good.

"I think it tastes good. What do you think?" asked Cynthia.

"I think it's good. But it's too salty. Not by much. But I don't like salty soups. Other than that you did a good job Cynthia." said the woman who trained cooking her whole life. Delia is one of the best cooks on this planet. So her trained tongue found some mistakes with the soup Cynthia made. However, Cynthia is not an experienced cook. And for an inexperienced cook, it tasted great.

"Now that you mention it. It is a little saltier than it should." said Cynthia as she took another spoon of soup in her mouth.

"Cooking is much harder than I thought..." said Cynthia with a sigh.

"It's not that hard. You'll be able to cook delicious foods in no time. It just takes a little practice that's all." said Delia.

"Yeah..." said Cynthia. And the Ketchum household fell into a pleasant silence. After Delia and Cynthia ate their soups, Delia turned the TV on and asked Cynthia.

"So. How's the building of your new residence going?" asked Delia.

"It's rather slow. It takes a lot of workers to build a villa." replied Cynthia.

"I'm actually jealous of you. Having such a big home at such a young age. That has to be amazing." said Delia to Cynthia.

"You don't have to be. You can come to me any time you want. You are always welcomed, Delia." said Cynthia.

"Thanks..." said Delia. And after a short pause, she continued. But in a much sadder voice. "You know. The place where you are building your vila is my favorite spot in Pallet Town."

"Really?" asked Cynthia.

"Yes. Richard was taking me there constantly to enjoy the view of the Pallet Town. It was really nice. Particularly in evenings. Sunsets over the Pallet Town are magical from that place." answered sadly Delia. Delia rarely talked about her husband so Cynthia didn't dare to interrupt Delia. Delia was talking from her heart now.

"Thank you, Cynthia." said Delia sincerely.

"Don't thank me. I didn't do anything, Delia." said Cynthia in a soft voice.

"You did. I was such a mess in a first few days when you wanted to stay here with me and help. I was moody, angry and sad all the time. I was angry with the whole world because of what it took from me. But you stayed. Even after my anger tantrum that one day, you still stayed. And thanks to you I'm not drunken somewhere on the streets. Or worse..." finished sadly Delia.

"Delia. I'm not the only one. Others were and are here for you too. You have Brock, professor, Tracey, Daisy and Gary with you too." said Cynthia.

"That is true. And I'm grateful that all of them stood by me. But it was you that came here every day when I was at my lowest. I am so grateful when you stood by me when I was crying my heart out. I know that it had to be unbearable at times. So. I am truly grateful that even though I was mean to you sometimes, you always came back and eventually pulled me out of my depression." said Delia sadly.

"All of us in Pallet Town wanted to pull you out of that pit of sorrow. I had to help. It's my fault. All of this is my fault. I had to try to make things right." said Cynthia sadly.

"...You are still blaming yourself for what happened nearly 3 years ago?" asked Delia surprised.

"...I can't help it... If I just didn't let him go he would still be here." said Cynthia sadly.

"Cynthia. You know that yo..." Delia was preparing to say that it isn't her fault but Cynthia interrupted her.

"That I couldn't predict the storm? That I couldn't control the lighting that struck the helicopter? I know all of this. And all of this could be avoided if I could just keep my problems to myself." said Cynthia sadly.

"Cynthia... Is this what you were doing the whole time? Keeping all your problems to yourself?" asked Delia.

"No..." replied Cynthia. But it wasn't convincing at all.

"Cynthia. From now on we'll be talking about your personal troubles like we did with mines. And that is not a question." said Delia.

"Delia we don't..." said Cynthia but was interrupted by Delia.

"Don't you try to get out of this. I am in a better state thanks to the fact that I was talking about my troubles with you. If you won't talk about it it'll destroy you. To be honest I am surprised that it didn't destroy you already." said Delia in a dangerous voice. Cynthia was quite now. She understood where Delia was coming from. But as the silence should fill the room, TV's speaking was heard.

 _"...We still don't know what is causing the tremors around Mount Coronet, but league officials told us that they finally started the investigation. And in other news. Another 3 people mysteriously disappeared from their homes. This time the disappearance took place in Olivine City. Two brothers's, Mark Coiro and Brad Coiro, apartment was found wrecked completely yesterday with Coiro brothers nowhere to be seen. Police forces agreed on that, they were taken by force from their home since there were blood marks seen in the apartment from the fight that took place. But the most surprising disappearance took place in the Olivine City's Gym. Gym leader Jasmine disappeared and not a single person knows where she is. She was last seen exiting the theater in the evening two days ago. If anyone saw or will see these people call the police forces to help and find the missing people."_ said the moderator of TV news.

"Another ones..." said Cynthia sadly.

"It's really strange. People disappear much more with each passing day" said Delia. It all started a 3-4 years ago when people from all around start to disappear and were never found. And in the past few months, the number of disappeared people has risen exponentially.

"Yeah. Not even Pokemon league has a clue what is going on." said Cynthia.

"I don't feel good about this. Even a Gym leader disappeared." said Delia.

"Yeah. I don't feel good about this either. I have that feeling. Feeling something bad is coming. Something truly evil." said Cynthia. When she said this statement, Cynthia didn't know how right she is. Something truly sinister is happening in the world of Pokemon right now.

* * *

Footsteps were echoing through an empty dark hall. One man was going through this hall without a light source. It was like he knew exactly where he is going. As he was continuing through the hall something other was heard.

Several screams were heard. And with each step, screams grew louder. Eventually, it was clear where the screams came from. On each side of this dark hall several doors. And behind those doors, something truly evil was happening. The screams of several men and women were terrifying. But it sounded like there were much more women behind those doors then men. Crispy voices screamed so loudly for help. But help never came. The man didn't stop his walk. He continued like nothing was happening there. Actually. If you would look closely at his face you would find out that he was even grinning. He was enjoying this.

Eventually, this man reached the end of the hallway where the doors where waiting. He opened a metallic door and went inside turned on the lights. This room resembled an office. One simple table was in the center of the small room with a computer and several other sundries. Then in the corner was a small bookshelf. But there weren't many books on the shelf. Only one. Then the lighten room revealed that the man was wearing an orange suit with a green shirt underneath and with a crimson tie. And another thing was that it revealed a cat-like, white Pokemon. Said Pokemon made his way towards the man who petted the cat Pokemon on the head to which the Pokemon purred in delight. The man then walked to his table with the cat Pokemon by his side and sat down. And in this instant, his mobile phone rang.

"Sir. Another subject has failed. We'll need a new one to replace it." said a female voice from the other side of the phone.

"I'll arrange that." said the man

"And we'll need a completely new one too. The room 142 is fully functional now." said the women.

"Excellent. I'll arrange that too. Any progress?" asked the man.

"Unfortunately no. But we are getting close. We need just little more time." said the woman.

"Than stop talking to me and spend the time more effectively." said the man without a hint of anger in his voice.

"I'll get to work right away, sir." said the female and the call was canceled.

After the call the man was sitting inside his chair for a while. But then he looked at the bookshelf. After a few seconds of just staring at the book, he got up from his chair and went to the bookshelf. He picked that one single book from there and went back to his chair. He opened it and was preparing to read it for a hundredth time. He opened the book and the very first page was titled: PSYCHICS VS. AURA GUARDIANS: THE CRIMSON DECADE.

* * *

 **Author's note: A little cliffhanger. So anyway. Not much of Ash in this chapter. It was mostly centered around Cynthia and how the world changed from her point of view. Except for the last part. And it doesn't take a genius to figure out the people in that scene. So this is the last part of the "Mission" arc. And now that I think about it, I'll have to rename this arc. It is more like preparation than the mission itself. I'll rename it in a few days probably.**

 **And I'll change the battle between Sableye and Gible/Gabite to make sense. Anyway, I'll have probably a slight pause. I have an idea how the battle against Team Rocket will go but I'll still need to plan it out a little more in more detail. There are a lot of twists.**

 **And I want to clarify that Psychics are only woman and Aura Guardians are only men. It just seemed right to me divide them like this. Hope you are all OK with that.**

 **I wanted the war between those two to make sense. That there isn't one side right and the other wrong. It was a clash of ideologies. Neither side is wrong or right.**

 **Don't forget to vote on the cave's name.**

 **Ash's Pokemon in the cave and their moveset:**

 **Pikachu (Male) – Thunder, Quick Attack, Iron Tail, Volt Tackle**

 **Luxray (Female) – Thunder Fang, Crunch, Volt Switch, Wild Charge**

 **Bulbasaur (Male) – Vine Whip, Razor Leaf, Leech Seed, Solar Beam**

 **Meganium (Female) – Grassy Terrain, Magical Leaf, Vine Whip, Petal Dance**

 **Sceptile (Male) – Leaf Storm, Solar Beam, Leaf Blade, Double Team**

 **Torterra (Male) – Leaf Storm, Energy Ball, Rock Climb, Synthesis**

 **Feraligatr (Male) – Ice Fang, Crunch, Slash, Bulldoze**

 **Crawdaunt (Male) – Bubble Beam, Knock Off, Vice Grip, Harden**

 **Kingler (Male) – Water Gun, Metal Claw, Crabhammer, Hyper Beam**

 **Floatzel (Male) - Aqua Jet, Hydro Pump, Sonic Boom, Ice Punch**

 **Milotic (Female) – Aqua Tail, Water Pulse, Scald, Twister,**

 **Torkoal (Male) - Heat Wave, Overheat, Iron Defense. Rock Slide**

 **Typhlosion (Female) – Flamethrower, Eruption, Aerial Ace, Swift**

 **Infernape (Male) – Overheat, Flare Blitz, Mach Punch, Dig**

 **Charizard (Male) – Flamethrower, Dragon Rage, Dragon Tail, Seismic Toss**

 **Noctowl (Male) – Confusion, Sky Attack, Air Slash, Extrasensory**

 **Swellow (Male) – U-Turn, Roost, Aerial Ace, Double Team**

 **Staraptor (Male) – Quick Attack, Wing Attack, Brave Bird, Close Combat**

 **Tauros x30 (Males) – Fissure, Take Down, Horn Attack, Zen Headbutt**

 **Snorlax (Male) – Ice Punch, Rest, Hyper Beam, Body Slam**

 **Donphan (Male) – Rollout, Earthquake, Take Down, Hyper Beam**

 **Gliscor (Male) – X-Scissor, Fire Fang, Giga Impact, Stone Edge**

 **Heracross (Male) – Megahorn, Sleep Talk, Focus Punch, Hyper Beam**

 **Muk (Male) – Sludge Bomb, Body Slam, Mud Bomb, Acid Spray**

 **Toxicroak (Male) – Sludge Wave, Poison Jab, Sucker Punch, Low Sweep**

 **Glalie (Male) – Ice Beam, Shadow Ball, Protect, Crunch**

 **Garchomp (Male) – Dig, Slash, Dragon Rush, Draco Meteor**

 **Sableye (Male) – Shadow Ball, Power Gem, Will-O-Wisp, Detect**

 **Lucario (Male) – Aura Sphere, Blaze Kick, Bone Rush, Force Palm**

 **Metagross (Genderless) - Meteor Mash, Gyro Ball, Psychic, Flash Cannon**

 **Aggron (Male) – Metal Claw, Metal Sound, Iron Head, Thunderbolt**

 **Weavile (Female) – Night Slash, Metal Claw, Hidden Power, Blizzard**

 **Absol (Female) – Night Slash, Razor Wind, Attract, Fire Blast**

 **Tyranitar (Female) – Stone Edge, Earthquake, Dark Pulse, Dragon Claw**

 **Gardevoir (Female) – Teleport, Light Screen, Calm Mind, Heal Pulse**

 **Mewtwo (Male) – Psystrike, Psychic, Dream Eater, Hypnosis**

 **That's it for now.**

 **Reviews are appreciated.**


	12. Last Guardian: The game begins

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Pokemon or any of these characters.**

 **Author's note: So I finally managed to kick myself to write another chapter. Everything is finally planned out and I hope you'll enjoy it.**

 **So the first news is that I'll be rewriting the first chapter in near future. I don't like how it is written so I'll change it a little. But not right now. I'll inform you when I'll get to that.**

 **Speaking of informing you guys with things. I finally managed to rewrite the battle between Sableye vs. Gible/Gabite. So if you are interested in that you can read it again. The result is the same but the fight is a little different.**

 **Another thing. As you know this will start a new arc. And I will be completely honest with you. I intended to skip this arc entirely when I started. But nothing goes as planned with me. I had to rethink the whole story because of this arc. From the summary (I'll have to change that too) of this story, you can tell that I didn't think this through as I thought. I thought that by now Ash'll be back and he'll be struggling to integrate back into the society. Well, we'll have to wait for that.**

 **And when I say wait I mean a looooong wait. This whole Ash vs. Team Rocket should take whole 13 chapters. I have no idea how it came from 0 to 13 but it did. Ideas after ideas flooded my mind and I just had to put them to use. And those who worry about the Cynthia/Ash aspect of this story, don't worry. I have a plan for those two in this arc too.**

 **But on the note of Team Rocket. This arc will get a little darker. Especially the fifth chapter so I am warning you in advance. I'll remind you at the beginning of that chapter but still. It's not for the light-hearted.**

 **And the last thing. The name of the cave has been decided and it's called The Haven. So thank you guys for the votes. And the Arc called Mission will be renamed to Setting the stage. Pfew those were long notes.**

"classic conversation"

 _"thoughts/Pokespeech/Aura link"_

 **That is all for now. Enjoy.**

* * *

 **VIII. Last Guardian: The game begins**

The never-ending blizzard still raged at the top of Mount Coronet. Snowflakes became bullets that were hitting the face of the young man and his two Pokemon that were now going back to his cave. As he was looking at the frozen boulder right in front of him he began thinking. It wasn't just a cave. It was his second home. Three years of memories are stored behind this boulder. He stopped for a moment looking at the cave letting his boots sink into the deep snow below him.

"Guys. I think we should give the cave a name." said a new deep voice of Ash Ketchum.

 _"Right now? Can't it wait few seconds? I am FREEZING here!"_ said Pikachu in his pokespeech. Pikachu was on Ash's shoulder under the cloak. They were outside for a few minutes, but the cold here is unbearable. Even when he is under the cloak. How the hell isn't Ash freezing too? And how the hell isn't Lucario freezing!

"You are hidden under the cloak and you still complain? The cave spoiled you Pikachu." said the Ash still not moving a muscle towards the cave.

 _"Don't mock me, Ash. If you won't tell Mewtwo to let us in, I'll take care of it myself."_ said irritated Pikachu.

"Don't make me laugh. If you would destroy the boulder, then we would be freezing a lot longer. You are not that stupid." said Ash. The blizzard was still and Ash was still standing in one place mocking Pikachu. Ash looked to his side to Lucario, but the Aura Pokemon doesn't seem to mind being here as Pikachu does.

 _"I am not. However, there are other means how to get inside. Let me tell you one of them. If you don't want Thunder in your face than you'll tell Mewtwo to open the cave right now!"_ said Pikachu.

"Jeez you're no fun when you are all frozen and grumpy." said Ash. _"Mewtwo. The door please."_ said Ash through the link.

And as Ash requested, the frozen boulder was slowly lifted from the ground letting him and his Pokemon inside. Once they were inside, boulder dropped back to the ground and Ash began speaking again.

"Happy, Pikachu?"

Pikachu, however, didn't answer. He was in no mood for teasing. He wants to rest. Finally. After the 3 years, he can finally rest for a bit. So he just rolled his eyes and jumped from Ash's shoulder.

"Wait. I want to still name the cave." said Ash and Pikachu stopped when he heard his trainer and looked at him.

 _"Why?"_ asked Lucario in pokespeech. It startled Ash. He nearly forgot that Lucario went with him outside.

"Well. I spent a 3 year here already. And we'll spend even more time here. So I think that it would be fitting to name my temporary home." said Ash to his Pokemon.

 _"Yeah. About that. I don't think a home is an appropriate term for this place."_ said Pikachu in pokespeech.

"You are right. It is more like a hideout. A sanctuary. A ..."

 _"Haven?"_ said Pikachu.

"Yes! The Haven! That's it!" exclaimed Ash. He doesn't really know why he liked the name so much, but it captures the beauty of this place perfectly. His now deep voice echoed through the cave that everyone heard him. It woke some Pokemon up from their nap and so everyone went to the entrance where Ash was.

 _"Soooooo... we are calling this place The Haven?"_ asked Pikachu. And around him, every single Pokemon was standing. However, they were not here because of the new name of the cave. Training has ended. And now is the time to talk about what's next. Does Ash even know how they'll begin this attack?

"Yes. We are calling this The Haven." said Ash.

 _"Great. Now if you'll excuse me I would go for a nap."_ said Pikachu.

As Pikachu was walking to his room, all the Pokemon inside the cave were eyeing Ash with a keen eye. Waiting for him to say something. Ash himself now registered their curious glances at him. And he could tell what they were waiting for.

"I thank all of you for coming. But for now, go to sleep. When all of you will have a proper rest, then we'll talk about it." said Ash confidently. And as Ash said, nearly everyone went to their places to have a proper rest after the last training session. Even Lucario. But there was still one Pokemon who stood there.

 _"It seems like you have a plan."_ said Mewtwo through telepathy.

"I do. Go to sleep Mewtwo. I'll tell all of you when we'll be all rested." said Ash as he himself went to his room to sleep.

And as Ash wanted to take a nap he realized that he couldn't. Ash laid there, on in his rather new sleeping bag. Mewtwo stole even that for him. But he couldn't complain. He stopped complaining a long time ago about stealing. If they'll win than all of it was worth it. But there's that IF. Ash knows that he and his Pokemon are stronger than ever and ready to take on the whole world. But this is Team Rocket. A criminal organization that is working within shadows since before he was born. Police, Rangers and even Pokemon League tried to stop them. But without success. Ash knows one thing. If he wants to beat them, he has to move fast. The leader of this group is incredibly cunning. He has to be an intelligent man to keep all of this secret for so long. Not to mention that he has hundreds and thousands of workers that Ash has to go through to reach the boss. And some of those workers aren't like Jessie, James, and Meowth. These people won't hesitate to pull the trigger.

Ash has an idea how to start. But it isn't a reliable one. If the Plan A won't go according to plan, then there is a plan B. But that would include him sitting on Charizard's back as they would be flying and he would be meditating and trying to find a group of people with twisted emotions. And that would take a lot of time. Ash hopes that the original plan work. He is eager to go back home as soon as possible. He doesn't want to be alone anymore. It's not that he wouldn't appreciate the company of his Pokemon, but he wants to meet the people again. He can't talk with his Pokemon about some things. And as much as he likes The Haven, it isn't home. It isn't Pallet Town. Arceus, how much he wishes to go back home. He has to make another step towards his home and it terrifies him to no end. What if he's not strong enough? This single question triggered something. Somewhere from the depths of his mind a memory came up and he remembered the time when he went ice skating for the first time with his father.

* * *

 _Flashback_

 _"Be careful you two." said fearful Delia to her two boys. She was terrified beyond words. Her overprotective nature just kicked in when she saw them putting on the skates. It was just the beginning of the winter and her beloved husband had a crazy idea to went ice skating on a nearby lake. She quickly turned the idea down, but little Ash was pleading so much that she eventually gave in. "I hate when he goes full puppy eyes on me." thought Delia. She was on a small hill overlooking the lake watching them carefully._

 _"You worry to much, darling. Come and join us. It has been some time since you and I were ice skating." said a black haired man near the lake with brown eyes with a mini copy of himself sitting next to him. The man then went to the happy boy and began tying his laces on the ice skates._

 _"No thank you. Someone has to be responsible, stay here, and call the ambulance if needed." said terrified Delia. And the man chuckled a little at this. But then, out of nowhere, his mini copy began speaking_

 _"Dad?" asked little Ash._

 _"Yes, my little Pokemon Master." said the man playfully._

 _"How do you know it'll hold us? Mom said that there is no way it'll hold." asked a curious mind of Ash out loud._

 _"She said that there is no way she'll let us go ice skating too and look where we are." replied the man. The man then looked at terrified Delia. She didn't bother to hide the fact that she is scared for their safety. He just smiled at her and then looked at his son. Ash still waited for the answer. The man then leaned to his son's ear and whispered._

 _"So. Do you want to know a secret how I know the ice will hold?" whispered the man._

 _"Of course!" exclaimed Ash loudly._

 _"What are you two whispering about?!" exclaimed Delia loudly._

 _"Man... stuff." said the man nervously as he looked at his wife. He then looked at his son again and whispered. "Ash, the first rule of keeping secrets is being quiet." whispered the man. He now took the other skate to tie the laces._

 _"Sorry. Will you tell me? Please?" asked Ash excitedly. This time in a whisper eager to find some of his dad's secrets._

 _"I actually don't know if the ice will hold." whispered the man._

 _"What?!" replied Ash loudly again. Scared, because of what his father just told him. How could he be calm when his father doesn't know if the ice will hold. His father always knew everything in his eyes._

 _"What is going on?" asked Delia once again when she heard something._

 _"Nothing darling. Prepare your phone just in case." said the man jokingly. And Delia just puffed her cheeks and looked away. But she couldn't be angry for a long time on the two most beloved people in her life. So after a few seconds, she turned back to them._

 _"Ash! You have to be quiet. If mom would find out that I don't know the ice will hold you will be calling an ambulance for me!" said the man forcefully but still in a whisper._

 _"Sorry." apologized Ash in a whisper again with his head down in shame and fear._

 _The man finished tying the laces and looked at his son. He was looking down. Sadness and fear were radiating from him that the man felt it as clear as the summer sky. So he grabbed his chin, lifted it up and looked in the younger mirror of himself and said._

 _"Ash. I know it's dangerous and scary to step on that ice when you know nothing about it. Especially the first step into the unknown. But sometimes you just have to hope it's strong enough and you'll make it through." said the man calmly, soothing the child and telling his secret to his son._

 _End Flashback_

* * *

"Sometimes you just have to hope it's strong enough and you'll make it through." reminded Ash himself in a slight whisper. Nevertheless, he still wondered. He was ice skating with his father a lot since that day and not once the ice broke or even crack. It even seemed like his father had a sixth sense on these stuff. When everyone believed it would not hold, his father knew when it would hold and they went skating. He was never afraid to go skating with his father after that day, despite his father's confession. But now it was his time to take the first step and hope that the ice is ready. Without father overlooking everything. He could drown now if this won't go according to the plan.

Thinking about all of this exhausted Ash a little and so with thoughts of Pallet Town and his parents he finally closed his eyes and fell asleep.

* * *

 _Office of Charles Goodsnow_

As the new day arose in Kanto region, Charles Goodsnow was out of his bed since 6 o clock in the morning. Duties of the head of the Pokemon League are nearly endless. Especially now. Unova's first conference is around the corner. Not to mention the fact that he has to choose the people to send to Kalos since the Kalos officials in the region of romance told him they want their own conference. And that was not all. Scott requested a meeting with Charles for whatever reason he has in mind. And as Charles knows this guy, it will be something big. Last time it was a Johto Battle Frontier so God knows what he has in mind this time.

Charles is behind his computer in his office writing all kinds of documents concerning the new conferences. His office is equipped magnificently. Some would say it was too much. Carpet from the best material the Pokemon world has to offer and walls with beautiful ornaments all over them. Desk from the finest wood you can cut down, Computer with the greatest technology you can think of, crystal chandelier and all kinds of expensive trinkets decorated the office. Perks of being the head of Pokemon league. Even though everyone is envious of Charles and his wealth, it didn't fall from the sky. He build his wealthy empire brick by brick and the result was the endless income of money. But on the other hand, it cost him his private life dearly. He never has a spare time for anything. As a result he has basically no real friends, hobbies or love life. He didn't even marry or has any children. But after so many years of hard work, he got used to this and accepted the life he has. It was his choice to build this all in the end.

And as he was writing a document on the list of things Kalos officials have to do to build to host a Pokemon conference, someone called him on his computer. He stopped his work for a while and picked the call.

"Good morning. What can I do for you Officer Jenny." said Charles as the video chat began.

"Morning Charles. I have something you should see." said Officer Jenny. And as she did, Charles got a notification on his computer screen. Officer Jenny send him some kind of video. Charles then opened the file and clicked on the play button and let the call with Officer Jenny be in the background if she would have some commentary on what he is about to see.

First few seconds nothing was happening on the black-white screen of the video. It was just a physical storage of all kinds of files on the criminals they captured at the Police Headquarters. But then someone out of thin air appeared. He materialized right before the security camera to Charle's surprise. But whatever this was it wasn't a man. A long tail was swinging back and forth from the dark cloak this creature was wearing. It wasn't stupid, it had a dark hood to cover its identity and a grey scarf to cover its mouth. This creature then slowly went to the shelves with all kinds of files and was looking through them. Trying desperately to find something. Eventually, this creature found a file and took it under its cloak and just as it appeared it disappeared.

"When did this happen?" was the first question out of many questions that Charles asked as he minimized the video and got back to the video chat with Jenny.

"This night." answered officer Jenny.

"Any leads or suspicion on what that could be?" asked Charles.

"No. The only lead we have is this video footage. This... thing disappeared as fast as it appeared without a single clue left behind." replied officer Jenny.

"What file did it take?" asked Charles.

"Team Rocket one."

"And I suppose that's all it took." asked Charles.

"Yes. We ran the complete file check up and everything is in place."

And before Charles could have any more questions another person called him on the computer. Even though this matter with officer Jenny was urgent, this could be even more important. So he picked it up and began video chat with another person.

"Morning Solana." said Charles.

"Morning. I have a burglary to report." said the young blue haired woman.

"I'm listening." said Charles. The work just keeps up coming up these days.

"We were doing our usual businesses at Ranger HQ when a silent alarm went off. Some broke in our secret storage of files against different Pokemon poachers and thieves. When my co-worker got there, he saw someone. He saw only a back of a dark green cloak and long purple tail. Then this person disappeared right in front of his eyes." said Solana the shorten version of a story.

"Purple tail and dark green cloak you say?" asked Charles.

"Yes." replied Solana.

"When did it happen?" asked Charles again.

"This night."

"Jenny. Send the video to Solana. I have a feeling we are dealing with the same person." said Charles. And Jenny nodded and began typing something on the computer.

"That's not all. He stole the files of Team Rocket." said Solana.

"Hmmm..." Charles now knew that this had to be the same person as the one in the storage of Police HQ. But why? Team Rocket exist so long that they wouldn't just come out of their hiding and stole the files. Informations there aren't that valuable. The only thing they knew about Team Rocket is that they have 4 bases in each region and some secret headquarters. And they don't know the location of any of them. Only the approximate location of them circled on the maps there. Basically, nothing else is in those files. But these locations were scouted through and through and nothing was found. So even these locations might be useless. Some of their crimes are there too but that's it. Nothing worth stealing for Team Rocket. Either Team Rocket sent someone to get rid of the evidence and they plan something or someone is interested in Team Rocket. The later seemed more plausible. They still have the digital copies of those files so there is no point in trying to steal the physical ones if you want to destroy them. But who is interested in Team Rocket. Or more importantly WHAT. Charles highly doubts it's a Pokemon. Pokemon can't read and they don't wear clothes. And why on earth would it want the files against Team Rocket?

"Excuse me for a moment, ladies." said Charles when he remembered something. He got up from his chair and went to a giant shelf of files in his room. He went to the T section and looked for a Team Rocket file. And as he was expecting it's missing. The only files on Team Rocket are owned by Police, Rangers and him. So the creature must have been here too. He then went back to his computer and informed Police and Rangers of his recent discovery. The investigation began shortly after.

* * *

Ash was now outside of The Haven in the forest somewhere in Kanto region. He was meditating again. His favorite thing to do when he has some time for himself. He was there for quite some time already. Four whole hours of just sitting there. But to him, it was worth it. He finally sensed Pallet Town. And immediately as his sight reached his hometown, he focused on finding his mother. The thought of the first ice skating brought so many memories of his parents that he had to see her. And how pleased he was when he did. He saw his mother and Mimey on the garden planting new flowers into the ground. Aura's of them both was filled with joy. But when he focused on his mother more he could still sense the sadness and sorrow deep within her. The sadness of not just his own death, but his father's too. He was watching her for some time until something interrupted his focus on his mother. Or rather someone.

He was surprised when another woman's aura came into his sight. This new woman exited Ash's former home with a flower in her hands and went to his mother. Even though his initial goal was to watch his mother, he couldn't help himself but focus on the woman near his mother. Something was just drawing his Aura senses to her. He couldn't explain what was happening logically but he just couldn't focus on anything else when she exited the door. He couldn't focus on her emotions to find out what she was feeling or even finding out if her Aura is familiar and if he had met her before. All of this was overpowered by the warmth she was emitting. So, so much of a pleasant warmth that he couldn't even describe it properly. It was one of the most pleasant feelings he ever felt and Ash was drawn to her by some indescribable force that he couldn't control and, what was surprising, he isn't fighting against it. He let this woman enchant him from miles away by whatever spell she has on him. He didn't even consider to stop focusing on her because of how good it felt. Like a drug, he couldn't get enough of. But unfortunately, he couldn't enjoy this feeling more because something was beginning to poke his head. So he opened his eyes slowly and looked at the Pokemon who ruined the moment of peace he had.

"Have you found anything, Gliscor?" asked Ash quickly shifting his focus from his meditation to the much more important matters at hand. His Gliscor then licked his eye as he always does and nodded slightly.

"Great job." said Ash and petted Gliscor on the head. But even though he began focusing on why he was initially here, he couldn't forget that pleasant feeling of warmth that the woman had on him from such a long distance.

Hours went by and more flying Pokemon came back to Ash. And when they were all in one place, they were teleported back to The Haven. All Pokemon surrounded Ash, awaiting the news. And Ash was ready to tell them the news and their next step. His flying Pokemon will need a rest from the flying all over the Pokemon world, however, after the rest, the show will begin.

"We'll attack tomorrow in the afternoon. Sleep well, my friends. Johto base is first."

* * *

 **Author's note: A little shorter chapter by my standards but it'll have to do. Nothing really happened here, but I promise the next chapter you'll see Ash in action. I would really appreciate reviews for Ash's quick backstory with his father. I don't think it's good enough but I placed it there because it has its purpose even in the future. Constructive criticism is welcomed.**

 **Ash's Pokemon in The Haven and their moveset:**

 **Pikachu (Male) – Thunder, Quick Attack, Iron Tail, Volt Tackle**

 **Luxray (Female) – Thunder Fang, Crunch, Volt Switch, Wild Charge**

 **Bulbasaur (Male) – Vine Whip, Razor Leaf, Leech Seed, Solar Beam**

 **Meganium (Female) – Grassy Terrain, Magical Leaf, Vine Whip, Petal Dance**

 **Sceptile (Male) – Leaf Storm, Solar Beam, Leaf Blade, Double Team**

 **Torterra (Male) – Leaf Storm, Energy Ball, Rock Climb, Synthesis**

 **Feraligatr (Male) – Ice Fang, Crunch, Slash, Bulldoze**

 **Crawdaunt (Male) – Bubble Beam, Knock Off, Vice Grip, Harden**

 **Kingler (Male) – Water Gun, Metal Claw, Crabhammer, Hyper Beam**

 **Floatzel (Male) - Aqua Jet, Hydro Pump, Sonic Boom, Ice Punch**

 **Milotic (Female) – Aqua Tail, Water Pulse, Scald, Twister,**

 **Torkoal (Male) - Heat Wave, Overheat, Iron Defense. Rock Slide**

 **Typhlosion (Female) – Flamethrower, Eruption, Aerial Ace, Swift**

 **Infernape (Male) – Overheat, Flare Blitz, Mach Punch, Dig**

 **Charizard (Male) – Flamethrower, Dragon Rage, Dragon Tail, Seismic Toss**

 **Noctowl (Male) – Confusion, Sky Attack, Air Slash, Extrasensory**

 **Swellow (Male) – U-Turn, Roost, Aerial Ace, Double Team**

 **Staraptor (Male) – Quick Attack, Wing Attack, Brave Bird, Close Combat**

 **Tauros x30 (Males) – Fissure, Take Down, Horn Attack, Zen Headbutt**

 **Snorlax (Male) – Ice Punch, Rest, Hyper Beam, Body Slam**

 **Donphan (Male) – Rollout, Earthquake, Take Down, Hyper Beam**

 **Gliscor (Male) – X-Scissor, Fire Fang, Giga Impact, Stone Edge**

 **Heracross (Male) – Megahorn, Sleep Talk, Focus Punch, Hyper Beam**

 **Muk (Male) – Sludge Bomb, Body Slam, Mud Bomb, Acid Spray**

 **Toxicroak (Male) – Sludge Wave, Poison Jab, Sucker Punch, Low Sweep**

 **Glalie (Male) – Ice Beam, Shadow Ball, Protect, Crunch**

 **Garchomp (Male) – Dig, Slash, Dragon Rush, Draco Meteor**

 **Sableye (Male) – Shadow Ball, Power Gem, Will-O-Wisp, Detect**

 **Lucario (Male) – Aura Sphere, Blaze Kick, Bone Rush, Force Palm**

 **Metagross (Genderless) - Meteor Mash, Gyro Ball, Psychic, Flash Cannon**

 **Aggron (Male) – Metal Claw, Metal Sound, Iron Head, Thunderbolt**

 **Weavile (Female) – Night Slash, Metal Claw, Hidden Power, Blizzard**

 **Absol (Female) – Night Slash, Razor Wind, Attract, Fire Blast**

 **Tyranitar (Female) – Stone Edge, Earthquake, Dark Pulse, Dragon Claw**

 **Gardevoir (Female) – Teleport, Light Screen, Calm Mind, Heal Pulse**

 **Mewtwo (Male) – Psystrike, Psychic, Dream Eater, Hypnosis**

 **That's it for now.**

 **Reviews are appreciated.**


	13. Last Guardian: First move

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Pokemon or any of these characters.**

 **Author's note: Another chapter is here! So first of. As I said this arc will be darker and this chapter is one of those chapters where it gets dark. So I'm warning you in advance. You might some scenes disturbing. I know that because I myself was uncomfortable writing some of those scenes. So here it is:**

 **BIG FUCKING WARNING FOR SOME DISTURBING SCENES IN THIS CHAPTER!**

 **Anyway. As I said I planned to rewrite the first chapter of this fic. And as I promised I did. So, If you want, you can reread the first chapter of this fic. There are no major changes, but I changed some things that I didn't like.**

"classic conversation"

 _"thoughts/Pokespeech/Aura link"_

 **That is all for now. Enjoy.**

* * *

 **IX.** **Last Guardian** **: First move**

"I don't know why are we guarding this place anyway. Nobody has set a foot here. Ever." said one man.

"What do you know. Maybe we are going to be the lucky ones and finally encounter someone." said the second man with a hint of sarcasm in his voice. Both of these men were guarding some iron door in dark nearly unlit cave apart from one single lightbulb above the iron door.

"500 meters underground? Seriously doubt it." said the second man.

"You just doubt it? Then you are even dumber than I thought. This place hasn't been discovered by a single soul in two decades." said the annoyed second man.

"Like you are some genius. Tell me why are we here then. Why are we guarding an entrance when nobody has ever set a foot in here?!" replied angered the first man.

"How should I know? Just be glad that you get paid for doing nothing and can occasionally fuck some subject before they put them to those gruesome tests." said the second man.

"True. Speaking of the subjects. Who got that sexy gym leader? I would have killed for the opportunity to be in charge of her. No joke." said the first man seriously.

"I would have killed for that too, but I don't know who got her. Anyway, I think it was a pretty stupid decision to bring a gym leader here. It brings unnecessary attention in my opinion." said the second man.

"With all those thrashed apartments and kidnappings, I think that we brought the unnecessary attention to us already." said the first man.

"Possibly, but I..." tried to say the second man before he was disturbed by some light noise in the caverns. "Did you hear that?" said the second man when he registered the light, bearly hearable, noise.

"What?" said the first man. And as soon as he said that another noise was heard. But now it was much clearer. It was a light thump.

"That." said the second man.

After this, the two men prepared their pokeballs and released two Pokemon. Even though there was only one light source in the cavern, the lightbulb illuminated the area in front of the man revealing, that the Pokemon they released are Ninetails and Arcanine. When they released them, another thump was heard. Slowly but surely these thumps became more frequent and lounder. Both men could just wonder what could come to this place because not even Pokemon were spotted in this area. Eventually, the two vigilant men could finally see what was coming to them. It was a silhouette of a person. Pretty tall person. After measuring the man, they registered the source of those regular thumps. This man was holding a walking stick and was approaching them with slow, careful steps. Now, that he was illuminated slightly, they saw that he wore a cloak with a hood that covered his head and left the place where his face should be in shadows. This mystery man with a walking stick walked closer and closer until he was illuminated entirely, but even though they could see him clearly, his face was covered in shadows. His black long beard was the only noticeable feature on his face. And as soon as he was near the Ninetails and Arcanine, those two Pokemon growled at the mysterious man in the caverns.

"I don't know what you are doing here, but I would advise to turn around and go away, if you don't want to get yourself in troubles." said venomously the second man hiding his surprise that someone found this place.

But the man stood unfazed and was still standing there like nothing was happening. After a moment of awkward silence, the man nodded his head.

"Good. Now g..." said the first man but was caught by surprise when a yellow blur jumped out of the mysterious man's cloak and hit both Arcanine and Ninetails on the head. Both Pokemon stumbled and grunted in pain when the hit came. But both men guarding the entrance were looking at the blur that stopped in front of the mysterious man in a cloak, revealing a small yellow mouse Pokemon.

"A Pikachu?! This should be easy." said the first man eagerly awaiting the battle in this boring place.

"Don't get cocky Carl. You saw what the Pikachu did." said the second man observing Pikachu and the mystery man with watchful eyes.

"Beginners luck, John. And it's 2 vs. 1. We got this." said the Carl with confidence.

"Ninetails, Fire Spin and trap that rat!" yelled Carl.

"Arcanine, Flame Wheel!" yelled John.

And two Pokemon began their attacks. Ninetails released Fire Spin and aimed it around the mouse Pokemon to trap him in a vortex of flames. But neither of them expected Pikachu to jump high in the air avoiding the Fire Spin without a single command from his trainer. After this Arcanine aimed a Flame Wheel at the yellow rodent in the air and was approaching him at a fast rate. But then another surprise struck the duo guarding the door. Pikachu, again without a single command, enveloped himself in the coat of electricity and ramed himself in the Arcanine's Flame Wheel. Pikachu collided with Arcanine and sent Arcanine back to the ground. But Pikachu aimed his attack so smartly, that Arcanine collided with Ninetails instead of a rocky cavern grounds. The impact created a smoke of dust and loud crashing sound that could be heard all throughout the caverns. When the dust settled, both Arcanine and Ninetails had swirls in their eyes and Pikachu landed on the shoulder of this mysterious person and behaved like no battle took place here with a completely neutral look on his face.

"W... What?" asked Carl caught completely off guard by the events that took place few seconds ago.

"You just made a big mistake old man." said John when he recovered from the surprising win of Pikachu. He grinned evily and pointed his gun at the mysterious man in front of him. "This is what you get for getting on the naughty list of Team Rocket." said John and he pressed the trigger on the gun.

The mysterious man extended his right arm and held it still in front of him like he was trying to catch a bullet. When the gunshot was heared a loud ding sound was heared. The bullet that was shot from the gun stopped few centimeters from mysterious man's extended hand and dropped on the ground. Both, Carl and John, now could see that the man was enveloped in some kind of blue energy force field that blocked the bullet.

Carl out of desperation panicked, pulled his own gun and tried to shoot the man repeatedly. But it was to no avail. The shield stopped every single bullet that Carl's gun released.

"What the..." said John quietly trying to comprehend what was happening right now. He then pulled the trigger the second time and was patiently observing the man. And again, like with the previous shots, the bullet stopped few centimeters from the man's extended arm. The man than dissolved the force field with his right arm, and created a sphere with the same color that the force field around him had and threw it at the gun in John's hand destroying it as soon as the sphere collided with the gun, shattering the gun to several pieces.

Both Team Rocket grunts could only watch in awe what was this man doing. This sorcery. The cloaked man with Pikachu on his shoulder then slowly walked to the two grunts still thumping the ground with his stick and finally stop, when he was in the handshake distance, still not saying a single word.

Carl now consumed by anger and rage, because of what just happened, tried to punch the man in the face, but the man caught the hand with ease, and in a blink of an eye he twisted Carl's arm forcing him to look at the iron door behind him with his own hand on his own back. The man then kicked him in the butt, sending him to the door which whom he collided with. Humiliated by being beaten by some old man with a walking stick and with only one hand, Carl got even angrier.

"WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR, JOHN?! ATTACK!" yelled Carl and he attacked again. This time John joined the attack and tried to punch the man as well. But in two swift moves, the man grabbed his stick, ducked avoiding John's punch and swung his stick at John's legs causing John to trip and fall. The mysterious man them made a swift turn and pushed the tip of it's stick to the stomach of Carl, who was running back at the man, knocking the breath out of Carl. Not even a second after this, the mysterious man made a round kick and kicked Carl in the face with such force that it knocked him unconscious.

John on the ground could just watch as his co-worker got beat up. The man then slowly came to him and hit him with a stick on the head knocking John unconscious immediately.

"Were those gunshots?" asked one man in the hallway.

"I think so. We should check what is happening outside." said the second one. After their conversation, these two men, with 2 others, went to the metallic door at the end of the hallway. But before they could reach the door, the door flew out of their place and landed right in front of the surprised Team Rocket grunts. A man with a Pikachu on his shoulder then walked through the place where the door once stood and with his stick walked slowly to the Team Rocket grunts. When he was face-to-face with the four grunts the man picked a pokeball from his belt and released Metagross. When he did that, Metagross's eyes shined blue and the guns, that were on their belts, crumbled, leaving them without the option to shoot the guy and Pikachu then hoped of the man's shoulder and landed on top of Metagross's head.

Nobody has ever found this place, let alone attacked it. After a minute, the grunts finally recovered from the shock and threw their pokeballs in the air. The pokeballs they threw contained four very large and very angry Nidokings.

"You are angering the wrong people, old man." said one of the grunts calmly. "Call the backup!" yelled the second one. And as he said the third man picked a walkie-talkie and called for a backup. To this, the man responded by revealing his shining blue eyes within the shadows on his face from the hood.

* * *

Jasmine was finally waking up and she was finally opening her eyes. As she was slowly opening her eyes a cold water landed on top of her catching her by surprise waking her up instantly. She shivered when the cold water hit her face and drenched her clothes leaving her freezing and cold. She tried to put her hands around herself and warm herself by rubbing her hands against her body, but she couldn't. She tried again, but her hands still didn't move. She then realized that she couldn't move her legs either.

"You took your time I have to say." she heard someone say. She looked at the source of the voice and she saw a man with a red R on his shirt that was standing in front of her with a bucket in hand. She panicked and looked around. She was inside a small room with light blue tiles on the floor and on the walls. She then looked at her hands. Jasmine was pinned to the steel pole with not just her hands, but by her ankles too. She is tied to this pole with steel handles in an X position with her hands and legs apart. Now she remembered. She was walking home from the theater and when she reached the door, she was hit in the head, not remembering anything from that moment.

"W...Who a..are you?" said shivering Jasmine. Fear and her cold drenched clothes caused the stutter in her voice when she looked at the man wearing black and have a red R on his shirt.

"The lucky one." the man with a sleazy grin on his face which frightened Jasmine even more.

"L..lucky o...one?" asked fearfull Jasmine. By that sleazy grin and uncomfortable voice, she knew that this man wasn't one of the kind ones.

"Yeah. I mean look at you? My new plaything looks gorgeous. And you are a gym leader to top it all of." said the man in his now usual sleazy manner. Jasmine than looked at herself. The man in front of her could see basically everything. She was dressed in a simple silver dress that she wore the night she went to the theater. Now the drenched dress revealed her figure to the man before her. She looked back at the man and saw that disgusting grin on his face. Her eyes widened when she became aware of what he was implying.

"Ahhh. So you finally realized what is happening. Good." said the man. This man then put the bucket down and went to her, grabbed her dress where the cleavage is and tore them with one swift motion leaving Jasmine in her underwear.

"Please... No... I... I beg you." said Jasmine in a shaky voice. She tried to break free from the steel handles that hold her in place but they didn't move. They were holding her firmly in place with no way to escape. She looked back at the man and he had that uncomfortable smile on his face again.

"Yessssss. Beg. Cry. Scream. Resist. It is always more fun that way." said the man and walked to Jasmine at a slow pace.

Jasmine now could just only watch in horror as he went to her and groped one of her breasts and painfully squeezed it. She wanted to scream. But the voice just died in her throat and she began crying instead. There was no way someone could hear her anyway. She is a very smart trainer and she could tell. When she scanned the room she realized that this is no ordinary room. It is some kind of test room. There was a big machine near her and above her some kind of iron helmet with many wires attached to it that would undeniably be put to her head sooner or later. She let the tears drop to the tiled floor as the man squeezed the other of her breast just as painfully as the first one, if not more. Jasmine let out a small whimper when he squeezed her breast. After some time, which was an eternity in Jasmine's mind, he finally let go of her breasts.

"Wh... What's g...going to h...happen to m...me?" asked Jasmine. Her voice was shaky, every fiber of her body was trembling and the only thing she could do was let her tears roll down her cheeks and which eventually hit the floor.

"After I'm done with you we'll run a test on you and who knows, maybe you'll be the first one to survive." said the man to her.

Jasmine just looked at the man. He was still smiling at her and she could see it in his eyes that he is not joking. Those sinister eyes of a criminal that should rot in prison for the rest of his life. Tears come out of her eyes again. Is this how she'll end up? Being used by some sleazy ugly man and then die? She had so many goals in her life and now they are gone. With a snap of a finger, her future died. She didn't even notice when he grabbed her bra and tear her in the middle letting the white bra fall to the floor.

"Come on. Beg me to stop. Scream. I WANT to hear it." said the man in a quiet tone. But Jasmine didn't give him the pleasure. Even though her eyes were red and puffy from the crying, she refused to give into his desires. She knows what this kind of man enjoy and it sickens her. If she was an ordinary girl, she would probably scream, beg, shout and all the other stuff these monsters enjoy.

When the man realized that she won't be as the other subjects he slapped her across the face in hopes of achieving some resistance from her. But even then no reaction came from Jasmine. She was still only crying. When he didn't achieve what he wanted he forcefully kissed her on the lips. Jasmine resisted and then bit him on the lip with all the power she could find. He let out a scream of pain and pulled himself from Jasmine with his lower lip was now covered in blood.

"Ou Yeah. That's what I'm talking about." said the man as he smiled and licked his lips and pulled his black trousers down. But before anything else could happen a loud knock on the door was heard interrupting the man in his act. Jasmine could only thank Arceus that they were interrupted. She wasn't ready for this mentally and physically. The man frowned and pulled his trousers back on and went to the door. Another knock was heard before he even reached the door. Someone was in hurry.

"WHAT?! WHAT! I WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF SOMETHING!" yelled the angry man on the other man when he opened the door.

"Demon! The blue demon has come for us, Martin!" yelled the man that knocked on the door completely exhausted.

"What the fuck are you talking about, Rick!?" yelled Martin at his younger co-worker. He could see that Rick was running for some time. So he looked to the hallway what was happening. He saw a man making his way through his other co-workers beating them with an absolute ease. Swinging his stick like some monk and landing hits so powerful that his co-workers were flying left and right. Not to mention the battles between his Pokemon and theirs. Martin saw what the mysterious man left behind. So many Pokemon with swirls in their eyes, and knocked grunts that he couldn't even count, with bruises all over them. He pulled out his gun and tried to shoot the man, but the man saw him and extended his arm creating a blue shield and blocking every single bullet that was sent his way. After he released the last bullet in his gun, his gun shattered right in his hands.

"See?! A blue demon!" said Rick. But before he could continue his rambling, he was hit in the stomach by a blue ball of energy and sent to the other side of the hall. Frightened Martin then went back inside the room with Jasmine, locked the door and hoped that he wouldn't come for him.

Jasmine looked at the man and saw the look of absolute horror on his face. Whatever he saw behind those door had to be a truly terrifying sight. The man was leaning against the door like he was trying to push something back. He didn't even look at her naked body and was breathing hard and unevenly. Before Jasmine could think about it more, the door flew open pushing the man at the door away. Almost immediately after it another man jumped into the room and hit the man that was blocking the door in the head with a stick, sending him into unconsciousness.

The new man in the room looked at Jasmine. At least she thought he looked at her, his features were covered by his hood so there was no real telling if he was looking at her or not. At this moment she remembered that she was completely naked apart from her panties. She was terrified yet again. What if this man is even worse than the one who was here before? He doesn't look very friendly, covered in the hood with that big, thick black beard and a blood on his clothes. This bearded man then slowly walked to her with his walking stick still thumping the ground. After today's experience, she shivered. She just wants to get over this quickly. When he was near her she could sense that he was examining her. She couldn't see his eyes, but she knew that he was examining her like a piece of meat. Like some whore. Tears again appeared in her eyes and they were rolling down her cheeks again. This nightmare will never end.

"Please... No..." said Jasmine pleaded weakly dropping her head to the ground and praying to the god himself to just let her get out of here.

"Tile!" someone said. Jasmine lifted her head when she heard the growl and looked at the new source of this sound. It was a Sceptile and he was preparing his Leaf Blade attack. She widened her eyes and then closed them preparing to receive the beating from him. But the hit never came. She heard cracking of the steel. She opened her eyes again and saw that Sceptile was destroying the handles that hold her limbs in place. One by one the handles were cracked and she could move her limbs. But when the last handle was broken she fell and expected to hit the ground. But she was caught by the stranger. After he caught her she heard another voice.

"Pika!" someone said. And when she looked at the Pokemon she saw Pikachu holding a towel. She looked back at the stranger and the only thing he did was point to the towel with his finger. She looked back at Pikachu and he was offering her the towel and let out a small happy "Pika" before he gave it to her. She holds a towel for a moment and looks at Pikachu who jumped at the shoulder of the stranger. She wrapped the towel around her to cover herself to some extent with the strangers help and took a step forward her legs gave out and she fell straight into the stranger's chest. He caught her again.

In one swift motion, he threw his stick to Sceptile, grabbed her legs and picked her to his arms. When he did that she realized just how strong he is. He didn't have any problem lifting her from the ground or holding her in his arms like a bride. Not a single huff of effort left his mouth. Smiling Pikachu then hoped over his shoulder and landed on Jasmine's stomach, curled up and took a nap. When Pikachu jumped on her and looking so peaceful, she finally had no fears about this man. They then began walking out of this room. They were slowly walking through the corridors and she saw several men, like the one before with a red R on their chests, on the ground beaten to a pulp. And not just man, many Pokemon with swirls in their eyes were there too. But when they went through the hallway, she saw what was behind the several doors that were similar to the door, she had in the room they kept her in, and it was a gruesome sight. Dead naked woman covered in blood, bruises and cuts. And not just woman. The two men that she saw in these rooms weren't any different. Every single one of them was naked and the only thing they wore was the iron helmet she saw in her room above her. Her stomach turned upside down when she saw it. What kind of monster you have to be to do that?

When they finally reached the exit she swore that there were at least 60 Pokemon and grunts taken out by the stranger in the caverns. During the journey through corridors, several Pokemon joined them. There was a Garchomp, Metagross, Infernape, Feraligatr, and Toxicroak.

She guessed, that these are probably stranger's Pokemon along with Pikachu and Sceptile. After a few minutes of walking, they reached the iron door. They went through them and Jasmine now saw dark, nearly unlit caverns in front of her. She was a little scared how they'll find a way out of this place. Then. Jasmine took notice of strangers eyes there. They glowed in a blue color like two blue shining gems in the darkness in which was his face covered in. But before she could examine them further, he looked at her. Unfamiliar with the men she avoided his gaze and snuggled into his chest to not anger him. She didn't know if it was an appropriate reaction, but she didn't really care. She just wants to feel safe and get out of this place. She eventually got her wish and they did get out of the caverns. It took half an hour of walking in a darkness, but they were finally out.

When they were finally out of the caverns, it was already an evening. Just how long was she in those caverns? But then there was another thing. Few grunts were outside of these caverns too, tied by the roped and other ones were coming. She saw a Charizard in the skies carrying two grunts in his hands heading towards their direction. Then there was a Milotic with one grunt on his back. There were several other Pokemon coming from all directions carrying grunts and tieing them with ropes. _"This man has a lot of Pokemon_ " Jasmine thought. A lot of Pokemon then went to the caverns with ropes as well. Was this some kind of one man army that the league sent here? To take care of this?

The stranger then went to the tree with her still in his arms and placed her gently on the ground, with her back leaning against the tree with Pikachu still lightly snoring in her lap. He then went with his Pokemon inside the caverns. She wanted to stop him, to tell him not to leave her alone after this traumatic event, but then she felt the light stir in her lap as Pikachu moved a little. That calmed her a little. She at least has a Pokemon here who helped her. She isn't alone.

It took 2 hours but the man and his Pokemon finally carried everyone out of the caverns and tied them up. The man with his Pokemon even carried out the dead and covered them with towels, they found inside the caverns. He then went to her yet again and for the first time, he actually spoke.

"Are you alright, m'lady?" asked a deep voice of a truly hardened man. She was spooked out a little by the deep voice but calmed herself pretty quickly. He saved her and is asking if she is OK after all. However, she still couldn't see his face which is angering her a little. But after today, she is not going to complain about something as trivial as this. Actually. She should be thankful that he saved her in time and not dwell on the face of her savior.

"Y...Yes. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you so much. I... I owe you my life. This..." said surprised Jasmine, he actually talks and she thanked him, but she just couldn't finish her sentence, when she looked at those dead bodies. She eventually burst into tears again. One of those women lying there, covered in towels, bruised, cut, raped, could've been her if he didn't show up in time. There was at least 25 dead women with those two dead men she saw earlier. And every single one of those innocent people died to those bastards. And she survived by a sheer luck and perfect timing from this man. It wasn't fair to them.

The stranger then hugged her trying to comfort her after what she just saw. But she had a feeling, that he was baffled by this just as much as she was. He was breathing hard and his hands were shaking. Not like hers. Not by a long shot. But she could still feel it. Nevertheless, it helped and she felt better. A little better at least. When he broke the hug she was surprised that he was reaching for the hood.

He slowly pulled it down revealing his face for the first time. The first thing she registered was his eyes. They weren't... normal. The blue in them was something new entirely. They were just so... intense. So... blue. Jasmine couldn't describe them properly, it was something totally different. She never saw those type of eyes. But, other than that, he was pretty normal. Long black hair and snow pale skin just like hers, if not paler and a typical man features. Nothing unexpected in his features, except those beautiful saphire eyes.

"Here. I found this inside." said the man and reached inside his cloak. He pulled out a mobile phone and handed it to Jasmine. Jasmine took it reluctantly and looked at the phone.

"Call the police. Tell them you are 9 kilometers southwest of the Blackhorn city, near the caverns." said the man and then he stood up and was ready to go but Jasmine stopped him.

"Wait. Don't leave me here alone... Please." pleaded Jasmine.

"I have to go." said the man in his deep voice.

"Please..." pleaded Jasmine in a quiet desperate voice. Just a thought of being alone now is unimaginable to her.

"... Call them. As soon as I will hear the sirens I'm out." said the man.

"Thank you... Thank you..." said Jasmine grateful to her unnamed savior. As she was leaning against the tree and stroking Pikachu's fur, she began thinking. Where did he come from? Who is he? What else can he do? Why did he come to this place? How did he found it? She intended to ask him some of these questions but when she looked at him, he was meditating already. She then saw a Lucario coming to him and sit beside him. Now both of them were meditating. She just didn't have the courage to interrupt him from his meditation, so she just settled for petting Pikachu and trying not to think about what happened today.

They were sitting there for at least an hour and neither Lucario nor the stranger moved a single muscle. And when the second hour of their wait was starting she heard the sirens of police cars.

"We are leaving." said the man from his meditative state. He then opened his eyes and walked to Pikachu who was still sleeping in Jasmine's lap. When the man was near Pikachu, the yellow mouse opened his eyes slowly. After a little stretch, he hopped back on the stranger's shoulder. Sirens grew louder and Jasmine knew if she wants to say something else to him now is the time.

"Thank you yet again that you saved me from... you know what. You are a hero."

"..." he didn't answer. He just sadly looked at all those poor women he didn't save. It even seemed like he didn't want to be praised. But even though he didn't think he deserved the praise, she knew he did. He saved her after all. Jasmine realized that the police cars around the corner and so Jasmine quickly blurted out one last question.

"Who are you?"

"An Aura Guardian." replied the man. Shortly after his answer, his Pokemon lined up behind him and they literally disappeared from Jasmine's sight just before a police car could spot them.

* * *

"Sir. I have bad news." said the female through the telephone.

"Well. I'm listening." said the man in the orange suit in his simple office with his loyal cat Pokemon by his side. He was and still is sitting in his chair with his computer on when she called him.

"Johto base. It has fallen." said the female with a hint of nervousness in her voice.

"What do you mean it has fallen?!" asked the man. He raised his voice a little.

"As I said. Someone destroyed the base and took the files of the next bases." said the female.

"How is that possible?" asked the man with a hint of anger in his voice, but still calmly.

"I do not know." answered the female.

"What about our people at the base?" asked the man recovering his calm nature.

"Behind bars. Every single one of them." said the female.

"What happened?" asked the man.

"Here. Take a look." said the woman and send something to the man. It was a link to a video in their database. So he clicked on the link and watched the video on his computer. He was watching a video, where 4 Nidokings were beaten easily by Metagross and Pikachu. He was watching how not even a reinforcement from Machamp, Nidoqueeen, Magmortar, and Rhyperior was nothing compared to the power that these Pokemon have.

But what caught his eye was the person in the middle of this all. When all his people failed to defeat the stranger's two Pokemon, his people attacked him themselves. But, even when it was 8 vs 1 and his people had a fighting training, they were no match for the stranger and his staff. He beat them all in a matter of minutes and went to another room for more. Now he could see, that the mysterious man in the video, even let some of Team Rocket grunts escape when he was occupied with the fight against Team Rocket men. But then he saw something he thought that he'll never see again. A blue sphere of energy was formed inside the stranger's hands and he threw it at some guy at the door. Another one of his men then tried to shoot him, but he somehow blocked all the projectiles. Even when he was watching his men butchered like that, it brought a smile to his face. The reason is, he knows exactly what the stranger is now.

"I want him." said the man.

"I'll arrange the searching and hunting party against this man" said the woman.

"No. Just a searching party. I want him alive." said the man.

"And why if I may ask?" asked the woman.

"Because. Experiments on the last Aura Guardian could bring very interesting results to us." said the man.

"OK. But what should we do now then? You don't want to lose more men to this person." said the woman.

"True. Just give each base more men, inform the other bases about this intruder and prepare some of our backup plans for the other bases. We will catch him off guard eventually." said the man with a grin on his face. The quest to obtain an Aura Guardian just began.

* * *

 **Author's note: So first of the different point of view. I wanted to show just how dangerous the surprise attacks are. Ash swept through this base like a knife through butter. The advantage of a surprise is a big factor. Another chapter will be mostly from Ash's POV again.**

 **Another thing. Jasmine. I initially thought that she is going to be raped and Ash wouldn't make it in time. But I just couldn't bring myself to write that part. It's just. No. Just no. I just couldn't. So he saved her just before anything could happen.**

 **So another chapter will be about the second base and some interesting things will happen outside of Mount Coronet. I have a bad feeling that the next chapter will be much longer than this one. 10k+. But we'll see. Anyway, Faptime is out.**

 **Ash's Pokemon in The Haven and their moveset:**

 **Pikachu (Male) – Thunder, Quick Attack, Iron Tail, Volt Tackle**

 **Luxray (Female) – Thunder Fang, Crunch, Volt Switch, Wild Charge**

 **Bulbasaur (Male) – Vine Whip, Razor Leaf, Leech Seed, Solar Beam**

 **Meganium (Female) – Grassy Terrain, Magical Leaf, Vine Whip, Petal Dance**

 **Sceptile (Male) – Leaf Storm, Solar Beam, Leaf Blade, Double Team**

 **Torterra (Male) – Leaf Storm, Energy Ball, Rock Climb, Synthesis**

 **Feraligatr (Male) – Ice Fang, Crunch, Slash, Bulldoze**

 **Crawdaunt (Male) – Bubble Beam, Knock Off, Vice Grip, Harden**

 **Kingler (Male) – Water Gun, Metal Claw, Crabhammer, Hyper Beam**

 **Floatzel (Male) - Aqua Jet, Hydro Pump, Sonic Boom, Ice Punch**

 **Milotic (Female) – Aqua Tail, Water Pulse, Scald, Twister,**

 **Torkoal (Male) - Heat Wave, Overheat, Iron Defense. Rock Slide**

 **Typhlosion (Female) – Flamethrower, Eruption, Aerial Ace, Swift**

 **Infernape (Male) – Overheat, Flare Blitz, Mach Punch, Dig**

 **Charizard (Male) – Flamethrower, Dragon Rage, Dragon Tail, Seismic Toss**

 **Noctowl (Male) – Confusion, Sky Attack, Air Slash, Extrasensory**

 **Swellow (Male) – U-Turn, Roost, Aerial Ace, Double Team**

 **Staraptor (Male) – Quick Attack, Wing Attack, Brave Bird, Close Combat**

 **Tauros x30 (Males) – Fissure, Take Down, Horn Attack, Zen Headbutt**

 **Snorlax (Male) – Ice Punch, Rest, Hyper Beam, Body Slam**

 **Donphan (Male) – Rollout, Earthquake, Take Down, Hyper Beam**

 **Gliscor (Male) – X-Scissor, Fire Fang, Giga Impact, Stone Edge**

 **Heracross (Male) – Megahorn, Sleep Talk, Focus Punch, Hyper Beam**

 **Muk (Male) – Sludge Bomb, Body Slam, Mud Bomb, Acid Spray**

 **Toxicroak (Male) – Sludge Wave, Poison Jab, Sucker Punch, Low Sweep**

 **Glalie (Male) – Ice Beam, Shadow Ball, Protect, Crunch**

 **Garchomp (Male) – Dig, Slash, Dragon Rush, Draco Meteor**

 **Sableye (Male) – Shadow Ball, Power Gem, Will-O-Wisp, Detect**

 **Lucario (Male) – Aura Sphere, Blaze Kick, Bone Rush, Force Palm**

 **Metagross (Genderless) - Meteor Mash, Gyro Ball, Psychic, Flash Cannon**

 **Aggron (Male) – Metal Claw, Metal Sound, Iron Head, Thunderbolt**

 **Weavile (Female) – Night Slash, Metal Claw, Hidden Power, Blizzard**

 **Absol (Female) – Night Slash, Razor Wind, Attract, Fire Blast**

 **Tyranitar (Female) – Stone Edge, Earthquake, Dark Pulse, Dragon Claw**

 **Gardevoir (Female) – Teleport, Light Screen, Calm Mind, Heal Pulse**

 **Mewtwo (Male) – Psystrike, Psychic, Dream Eater, Hypnosis**

 **That's it for now.**

 **Reviews are appreciated.**


	14. Last Guardian: Second base

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Pokemon or any of these characters.**

 **Author's note: I took my time didn't I? Well, I had an important stuff to do. But nobody cares about that. Anyway, here we have it. The second attack on Team Rocket base.**

"classic conversation"

 _"thoughts/Pokespeech/Aura link"_

 **That is all for now. Enjoy.**

* * *

 **X. Last Guardian: Second base**

"How are you feeling Mewtwo?" asked Ash.

Feline Pokemon opened his eyes and let out few harsh breaths. If he wouldn't be sitting in the Haven, he would fall on his butt that's for sure. This whole operation took a great tole on his mind.

 _"Now? Good."_ replied Mewtwo.

"Good to know. Cancel connections between all of us then. We'll need you again soon." said Ash without a hint of happiness. One would think that after a successful destruction of one base, a celebration would be in full swing. It seems Ash has a different idea.

 _"Already did it when I teleported you here. I am going to rest for a while if you don't mind."_ said Mewtwo weakly through telepathy.

"Go. You earned it." said Ash. "All of you." he said as he looked around the cave on all of his Pokemon. "I'll search through the files and find the location of another base. Until then you are free to do whatever you want. We will attack next one as soon as possible."

Ash then went to his room and pulled the files out of his cloak. However, he couldn't focus on the files. His mind was bombarded by the vision of those poor people that he saw in the base. Yeah, Team Rocket was a world known criminal organization, but this?! What the was that?! How could ANYONE do that? He couldn't imagine that Jessie, James, and Meowth were part of the very same organization that does these monstrosities on innocent people. Before the attack, he was worried that he wasn't prepared for this. To face guns, fighters, and Pokemon. But right now? It seems like he was preparing himself far too long.

Ash was late. Far too late to save them. He just begin his task and he failed Arceus already. Failed himself. Till this moment he was doing this because of what Mewtwo told him. But right now, he himself has the desire to defeat Team Rocket. Even if Arceus would made up his mind now, he would still be going after them. How couldn't he? They are using those woman like some toys and then they use them in these experiments, that would twist stomach even to the toughest humans on Earth.

 _"It was a disgusting sight to be held."_ asked Pikachu who now stood in front of Ash, registering that even when he has the file open, he isn't focusing on that. Nobody was prepared for what they witnessed today. And as every Pokemon seek comfort in each other, there is one person who hasn't find someone to talk to about today.

"Disgusting... That word doesn't come remotely close to describe what we saw today." answered Ash and slowly shook his head.

 _"Yeah..."_ said Pikachu back. There really were no words to describe today. But he has to talk with Ash about the important stuff. He already talked with other Pokemon about what they saw and what is waiting for them in the future, when Ash was meditating, trying to find peace after events of today. The meditation clearly didn't work. "Ash. We... We will encounter this again." said Pikachu, trying to lay it to Ash gently.

 _"Ash... There are 3 other bases where we will undoubtedly encounter the same things as we did here."_ said Pikachu. Ash looked at him and sadness with desperation was clearly visible in his young blue eyes. What was Arceus thinking when he placed this burden on a 16 year old kid? Yeah, Ash is the most strong-willed person Pikachu knows, but this is to much even for Ash. The fate of this world rests on the shoulders of a teenager who saw what could only be described as the living nightmare. "Maybe even worse things." said Pikachu continuing with a conversation. Well. If they want to pull through one thing is clear. Ash must get back on the track and focus on what is important.

"Go and get rest Pikachu. I have to look through these files." said Ash sternly and looked back to the files. But he still couldn't concentrate on what was in them. The image he saw in those rooms will haunt him forever.

 _"Sorry, Ash. Not yet. I have to talk to you."_ said Pikachu back. Ash then locked his gaze with Pikachu ones more, and sighed.

"What do you want?" asked Ash.

 _"You can't mourn them forever. It was not your fault."_ said Pikachu.

"I am pretty sure it was." replied Ash sadly.

 _"You have to stop carry the world on your shoulders, Ash. Look around! Whole world did nothing against them, so if you want to place the blame on yourself, fine. But then you have to place the blame on everybody in this world too."_ said Pikachu.

"Well. Arceus placed this on my shoulders alone, not on the world. It was my responsibility to save them, Pikachu. And I failed!" said Ash with emphasis on the last 3 words.

 _"You didn't fail. According to Mewtwo, Arceus said that you have to purge this world from evil. There was not a single mention of you saving already captured people."_ said Pikachu.

"But we should have been able to save them! Arceus should send us sooner!" yelled Ash emotionally.

 _"Without training, we would end up just like them. We can't save everybody Ash. That's how it is. But we must look forward and save the people that we still can save and not look back at the people we couldn't save. We can't let the past slow us down, when lives of others are in danger now. Grief is a luxury we don't have time for."_ said Pikachu. Pikachu doesn't want to witness dead people any more than Ash does. But If they want to save as many of them as they can, they have to move on from this. And fast. There will be time for grieving the dead when this all will be over. Not now.

 _"Ash. Every second you waste thinking about the dead, we risk the death of someone we could save."_ said Pikachu and went to his room for some rest after today, leaving Ash deep in thoughts.

* * *

"I should find an assistant. This is getting ridiculous." mumbled Charles Goodsnow under his full white beard as he was waiting in the Police HQ. People began to have an annoying habit of interrupting him when his hands are full in past months. Plan in the morning was simple. Meeting with Steven and Scott. After his phone call in the morning, it was clear that sending Steven to the Mount Coronet will have to wait. This will be postponed easily. Steven and the escort party they assembled is easy to reason with and they understand how much work Charles has. However, than there is Scott. And his fat friend insisted on today's meeting. Unfortunately, his friend isn't easily reason with as Steven is. Scott will probably strangle him when Scott finds out that the meeting was postponed to the next week. It just all happens so fast. Rangers and Police contacted him and they DEMANDED his presence at the Police HQ in Kanto immediately. They apparently have something big. So he hopped inside the helicopter and made his way there. This better be worth the lecture from Scott he is going to hear.

As he was waiting for someone to pick him up he examined the inside of the building. From the outside, it was a 4 floors tall wide white building with a bronze statue of officer Jenny saluting in front of the building. But from the inside it looked different. Dark wood was the main material that was used to build the base for the ones who protect the world of humans and Pokemon. Stairs to the second floor, counters, desks and even the floor are covered in the dark chestnut wood. It all was contrasted by a lot of glass. You can see how everyone worked on different subjects in here through the windows between every office. Privacy is nonexistent here as it seemed.

Charles was reading the marble wall on which were written the officer Jenny's that fell in action and from what city they were when someone spoke to him.

"Finally. You arrived. Follow me Mr. Goodsnow. Director Jenny is expecting you." said an officer Jenny which appeared in front of him, stopping Charles in his tracks.

Finally, someone noticed him. So many officer Jenny was running all around him and not a single one showed him the way. In fact, the whole HQ looked like they were buried with work. Jennys carrying a bunch of files were running left and right, and when he looked through the glass that separated the guest part and employes part, he saw that all computers were taken by Jennys and every single one of them were writing furiously on the computers. He saw several Rangers helping them in this matter too. They weren't joking when they said something big happened and they don't have time to explain. When he observed his surroundings, he finally replied to the officer Jenny in front of him.

"I arrived 15 minutes ago."

"I apologize for my late arrival to escort you to the director. I am very tired Mr. Goodsnow. In fact. We all are." said the officer weakly holding a pen and a tab in her hands.

Charles looked at the officer with an observant eye now. Even without his glasses, he saw bags under her eyes, messy hair and he even registered that she doesn't smell good. When he looked around, he saw this in practically every Jenny here. They were working the whole night.

"What happened?" asked Charles.

"A lot of work arrived last night. You'll see. Now follow me, please." said the Jenny. And they went through the halls of the Police HQ. When they were walking through the HQ, Charles registered that the cells holding prisoners were full to a brim. And officers were still going in with more prisoners trying to fit them inside the cells.

After a minute they spotted director Jenny and Solana from the Pokemon Rangers in front of the door to the interrogation room. The officer that escorted Charles then went to do her usual business and left Charles with the director.

"Okay, ladies. Can someone finally explain to me what is happening? And why are your cells so full?" asked Charles the two ladies in front of him. They weren't looking much better than the Jenny that just left.

"We actually don't know what happened exactly." said director Jenny weakly.

"Director. Solana. I canceled all of my plans for today to just be here. I want answers!" replied Charles.

"Jenny. Tell Mr. Goodsnow the whole story of what happened today." said Solana. She wasn't in such a bad state as the director Jenny, but tiredness could still be seen in her face and on her body.

And so Jenny took a deep breath and told him the whole story. How they got a call from Jasmine. How, when she arrived she saw nearly 100 Team Rocket grunts all tied up and unconscious. How Pokemon, that belonged to the grunts, were beaten up and sent to the different Pokemon Centers all around Johto. How she saw numerous dead bodies wrapped up. How she saw Jasmine curled up against the tree wrapped in a towel scared for her life. How she had to call a dozen of transport cars to take the grunts and Jasmine to the Police HQ in Kanto. How she called for the ambulance transport the dead bodies to hospital for identification. How she sent a team of officers to examine the caverns, where the base of Team Rocket was, according to shaken Jasmine who pointed in the direction of caverns. And how they now have to identify every grunt and add them to the database and then interrogate them.

"Wow..." was the only thing Charles could say.

"Yeah." said Solana.

"So. Why are we here?" said Charles and he looked at the door to the interrogation room.

"Well. We already interrogated every grunt we have behind bars. But none of them has clear answers to what happened. S..." said director Jenny weakly. She wanted to continue but before she could regain her energy Charles spoke.

"Not a single one had answers?" asked Charles raising his eyebrow.

"It's... complicated. They have answers. But, their tales differ a lot. One grunt said justice has come for them for the sins they committed. Other say the Blue Demon has come to make them suffer and take them to hell. We heard many stories of what happened. And they are different every single time. Tales about, The Wanderer, The Sorcerer, The Sage, The Monk and more range from unbelievable to downright ridiculous." said Solana.

"Some say he can control and empower Pokemon. Some say he is immortal. Some say he can see into the future to see your moves before you even make them. Some say he can make things crumble and turn them into dust." said director Jenny.

"But the thing in which all grunts seem to agree, is whatever came for them has the ability to manipulate blue energy and fights with a staff the person uses as a walking stick." said Solana.

"Did the person in question killed the people you saw?" asked Charles after a pause. To say he was surprised by all of this would be an understatement. Really. What can you make of this? Grunts had to lose their minds to claim ANY of this is real. But. Then again, he knows real Psychics so there could be the truth, hidden deep inside the stories they told.

"We do not know. We hope that we will get answers behind these doors. Behind them is the only witness we have." said director Jenny.

"Jasmine... You didn't ask her anything during the ride back here?" asked Charles.

"No. She is still shaken by whatever happened so we let her be for the time being. She spent the night here at the HQ and we gave her everything she needed. Clothes, food, room and all that stuff. We hoped that after she'll be rested, we could finally talk to her about what she went through." explained Solana.

"Good. Let's not keep her waiting." said Charles. He was glad that they didn't push onto Jasmine as soon as they arrived. She is just 20 years old. Still a child in his eyes. That would definitely not do any good to Jasmine's mental health.

* * *

Jasmine sat in the interrogation room very nervous. She still doesn't feel good about being in the same building as the man that assaulted her. Not to mention that she is locked in the interrogation room right now. Her mind is in turmoil because of it. On one hand she is glad that she is staying in the same building as the majority of the police force. There is probably not a safest place on Earth that this place. But she still doesn't feel safe. This place could easily became target for Team Rocket since it holds every grunt the Aura Guardian captured. And the Guardian isn't here. Now that she thinks about it, there is a safer place. Right in his arms. As she started to think about her savior the door opened. She jumped a little but she calmed down when a familiar woman in police outfit appeared. And right behind her Charles Goodsnow and a woman in a Ranger outfit came inside the room too.

"Hello." said Jasmine in a quite, unsure tone. Two women and the old man greeted her back as they sat down on the chairs across her.

"Jasmine. You know why you are here. And I want you to know that we won't force you to answer everything we'll ask." said tired director Jenny.

"Thank you..." said Jasmine.

"However. We still need some answers. So please tell us. What happened there?" asked Solana.

"W..Well. When I left the theater and was headed home someone ambushed me and knocked me unconscious. I woke up hours later in some kind of laboratory. But... When I woke up, I wasn't the only person in the room. There was a man... He... he tried to..." she began choking up and her eyes became glassy in the light of the room. She then felt a hand on hers at the table but she quickly pulled out her hand from the person and placed it on her thigh. She then looked up and saw that it was Charles's hand who tried to comfort her.

"Sorry, child. Should have known not to do that." Charles apologized as he withdraws his hand from the table.

"But he didn't do THAT to you." said Solana. They knew Jasmine was alright because of the medical checkup she went through when she arrived here.

"N...No. H... He said that after..." she tried to speak but she just couldn't.

"We know what you mean. Just... tell us the important part." said tired Jenny. It was clear that Jasmine was trying to give them some valuable information, but what that man tried to do to her was stopping her.

"T... They wanted to put a ...helmet on me. The... man said that... nobody survived the experiment yet." Jasmine continued still shaking from telling the tale.

"Do you know what kind of experiments they are doing?" asked Jenny.

"N..No. He came and saved me before they could do anything to me." said Jasmine.

"He?" asked Solana.

"An Aura Guardian." replied Jasmine.

"What?! An Aura Guardian?" asked Charles. When he thought that nothing can surprise him more Jasmine throws another bomb at him. It became a joke. Every time he thinks Aura Guardians are gone another pops out of nowhere.

"Yes." replied Jasmine more confidently than before.

"... Of course! Now it makes sense!" shouted Charles when something in his brain clicked.

"Charles?" asked Jenny who was awakened from her half-sleep by the loud shout of the dwarf.

"Oh yeah right. Explanation. It was an Aura Guardian who took that base down! Think about it ladies. Blue Demon. Sorcerer. Sage. Blue energy. It had to be an Aura Guardian." said Charles.

"OK, but that still doesn't explain why he attacked the base. And more importantly how he knew about the location of the base." said Solana.

"Unless..." said Jenny. Even when she was tired beyond words, her brain began piecing the pieces together.

"Unless those files about Team Rocket that were stolen from us were given to the Aura Guardian!" shouted Charles again.

"That seems... plausible enough. But still. Why? Why would he do that?" asked Solana.

"He is an Aura Guardian. Honor. Saving lives. It's their thing." said Charles.

"Jasmine. Child. What else do you know about the Aura Guardian?" asked Charles before Solana could have had another question.

"He... doesn't talk to much. He is... tall. Very tall. Two heads higher than me." was the first thing that came to her mind. Jasmine is shorter than the other people but still. Two head height difference is a lot.

"He wears a simple dark green cloak and has a staff which he is using in combat." continued Jasmine.

"Did you see his face?" asked Charles who basically took over the interrogation. Solana was now just listening, and Jenny was practically sleeping.

"Yes. He was...hairy." said Jasmine. To which Charles chuckled and ran his hand through his full-beard.

"Like me?" asked Charles. And now Jasmine chuckled. Atmosphere was getting lighter thanks to Charles here. Thank god.

"Kinda. He has a similar beard like you. Just in black." said smiling Jasmine.

"Believe it or not, mine was once black too." said Charles.

Jasmine then imagined Charles with a black beard. It would look hilarious in her opinion. He would then truly look like a dwarf. In the end, she couldn't hold it and began laughing.

"What about his other notable features?" asked Solana interrupting the happy moment between Charles and Jasmine.

"Eyes. His eyes. He has most beautiful pair of blue eyes I have ever seen." she said and drifted into the moment she saw them for the first time and then when he took of his hood. She thought about them way too much for her liking, but she finally knew how she can describe them.

"I... I know this will sound silly. But. They looked like summer skies and exotic seas merged together and were poured into the clearest sapphire you could imagine. That's how they looked like. And... I don't know if I imagined it or not, but I think that they were even glowing when he carried me out of the caverns." said Jasmine.

"...So they were blue." asked Solana.

"I...No and yes. You would have to see them to understand what I am talking about. Those eyes were no ordinary eyes." said Jasmine.

"Okayyyy. Any other information that you can give us about the Aura Guardian?" replied Solana doubtfully.

"The only other thing I can recall is that he was pale. Like... he hasn't seen a sun in years." said Jasmine.

"Hmm... interesting." said Solana thinking if the man was really hiding somewhere where the sun does not shine.

"Solana. I think it would be better if Jasmine would describe the appearance of The Aura Guardian to a police sketcher." said Charles. He then looked to his left and saw Jenny sleeping with her head on the table. Poor tired woman. She can't catch a break either.

"Yeah. I just wanted to have a rough image of this man. If there were some interesting features that could identify him sooner." said Solana.

"You have never seen a man like this. I guarantee it." said Jasmine getting back the attention of the people in the room.

"I know. It's not every day you see an Aura Guardian." said Charles.

"Yeah. But we still need to find him. Jasmine. Do you know where this man is now?" asked Solana.

* * *

 _"Charizard. How's the skies?"_ asked Ash.

 _"Fine. Bulbasaur, how's the ground? Everything OK?"_ asked Charizard who was in the skies watching a smaller mountain that was basically sieged by Ash's Pokemon.

 _"We have everyone under control here. There aren't that many of them anyway. Ash is really good at keeping the grunts inside this time."_ replied Bulbasaur

 _"Yeah, it's pretty boring outside. How are you feeling, Mewtwo?"_ asked Swellow in the skies.

 _"I feel like an overloaded transceiver of your thoughts. So, not so good to be honest."_ said Mewtwo to all of the Pokemon outside.

 _"So... A headache coming?"_ asked Swellow.

 _"Already here. Ash, how are you doing inside? I don't know how long I can maintain the connections between all of you."_ asked Mewtwo who was still inside the Haven, sitting crossed-legged levitating slightly with closed eyes. The fact that everyone is communicating with him is far more difficult than he initially thought. Only one stayed in the Haven. And the Pokemon is Gardevoir, who was ready to tend anyone who would get seriously injured.

They attacked like they attacked the first base. Basically, the same plan as the one they had before. Charizard overlooking everything from the skies and Bulbasaur staying at the ground. So far it worked. Not a single grunt escaped. But now it was all about on what is going on inside the small mountain where the Kanto base is located.

And the inside of this base was far busier than the last one. Ash took the words that Pikachu said to him to heart. Like Pikachu said, no time to waste. If they want to save more people, they have to move quickly. And after what Ash saw inside the first base, he was merciless when he was going through the Team Rocket grunts inside this base. Cries and cracks of bones could be heard throughout the halls of this base.

 _"We are trying to end this as fast as we can, Mewtwo. But there are far more Team Rocket grunts than the last time. Just hold on."_ said Ash.

 _"More of them are coming."_ said Lucario.

 _"Metagross, take care of the guns."_ said Ash when he finished fighting another Team Rocket grunt.

And as another 10 grunts came into the view, Metagross used his Psychic and destroyed every gun that Team Rocket hold.

"Who in the name of Arceus ARE YOU!?" asked one of the grunts Ash. Not the first time he heard this question. Ash answered with an Aura Sphere into the stomach, and twisting the arm of the second grunt, and eventually breaking the arm. Then to put him out of the pain he swung his staff and again knocked the grunt unconscious by a hard hit on the head. Ash then said Metagross to went to the place where the remaining grunts with guns were. He then took care of the other 8 grunts that came here before they could let their Pokemon out.

The attack on this base continued like this for some time. Ash and his Pokemon going through the grunts like butter and more and more grunts coming to them. Until.

"CALL THE SPECIAL BACKUP!" yelled the last conscious grunt before he was silenced by Ash's staff.

To this Lucario's and Ash's sensing ability kicked in. But nothing was coming. No one was. They waited for a few moments, but still nothing. Suddenly gunshot was heard.

Immediately after the gunshot was heard, Pikachu reacted and he looked in the direction of the gunshot and used Quick Attack as fast as he could. Unfortunately, he was stopped by the Psychic attack by the Pokemon that was in front of the grunt that appeared behind them out of nowhere.

Ash thought that the bullet missed him. He felt no pain anywhere, but then his right leg gave out. He looked at his leg and saw the blood leaking out of his thigh. Ash turned around on one knee and saw that the grunt has an Alakazam by his side, that was holding Pikachu in Psychic, and the grunt himself was holding out the gun against Ash. Then he felt a slight headache. He thought that it could be because of the wound he received. But it wasn't that.

Alakazam was trying to get inside his head. And the Alakazam was really strong with his Psychic abilities. And when someone, who was trained by Mewtwo himself, thinks that Alakazam is strong, then he is god damn strong. However, Ash was trained by Mewtwo. So he blocked Alakazam's tries to get inside his head. But the pain in his leg and Alakazam's tries made it much more difficult.

 _"Infernape, I need a hand. Take care of Alakazam, please."_ said Ash. When he was concentrating on the Alakazam's Psychic, he couldn't protect himself with the shield. But what was more surprising, he was expecting the grunt to shoot him immediately to get rid of him. But he didn't.

"DON'T. MOVE." said the grunt to Ash and Lucario. And they listened. Ash was just kneeling on the cold tiled floor, with his left thigh painfully bleeding. Blocking Alakazam's Psychic as much as he could. With Pikachu trapped in Psychic and Lucario by his side. Waiting for Infernape.

"You have no idea how much I wanted to shoot you in the head when Alakazam teleported me here." said the grunt. The grunt and Alakazam than walked towards Ash.

"You are lucky that our boss wants you alive. Now... " said the grunt when he was near Ash. But before he could finish the ground begin to rumble and the fire monkey punched Alakazam in the chin from below. Immediately after Pikachu was freed from Psychic, he used another Quick Attack, and this time it hit Alakazam who was too distracted by the Dig attack that Infernape performed on him. Alakazam was out. Ash, who was still in kneeling position, formed another sphere in hands and threw it at the grunt. And before the grunt could comprehend what happened to Alakazam, he was hit by the sphere of a blue energy right in the stomach.

 _"You alright Ash?"_ asked concerned Pikachu who went to Ash.

 _"Yeah... Nothing a few days of rest and Gardevoir wouldn't fix."_ Ash responded as he tried to get up back on his feet.

 _"Hang in there Ash. I'm on my way."_ said concerned Gardevoir who was being constantly informed by Mewtwo too.

 _"Stay in the cave Gardevoir. We'll be there soon. Luxray. Come here, please. I need a ride."_ said Ash as he knelt down again. The bullet in his leg caused a lot of pain that was searing through his body. Lucario, on the other hand, gave him look of appreciation. His Aura Pokemon wants Gardevoir to stay out of the fights even more than Ash does for obvious reasons.

It took few seconds for Luxray to gracefully leap into the hallway and stop in front of Ash.

 _"Hey, girl. How are things outside."_ asked Ash Luxray still through Mewtwo.

 _"Hey, Ash. It's good. Bulbasaur is taking care of everything. He is really good at directing other Pokemon."_ said Luxray.

 _"Good."_ said Ash. Ash then with the help of Lucario got on top of Luxray and was sitting on her back, with his leg still bleeding slightly. The bullet blocked the blood from spilling out fortunately so Ash hasn't made that much of a mess. But that doesn't change the fact that it hurts like hell. Thankfully he was used to the pain by now.

 _"Guns are destroyed. Only 6 grunts remain. I already took care of their Pokemon and I am holding the grunts in Psychic now. What now?"_ said Metagross in their heads out of nowhere, thanks to Mewtwo.

 _"Hold them. We are coming. Others, find some towels and ropes in their stock room and scout the rooms for survivors. If we are lucky there will be more then one this time..."_ said Ash.

* * *

"He appeared again!" yelled director Jenny in a car.

"What are you talking about, director Jenny?" asked surprised Solana through the phone.

"Evolution Mountain in Kanto. Some man was mushrooming and he heard something and went to investigate it. He saw a man in a dark green cloak with a black beard carrying dead bodies out of the mountain. Not only that, but he was tying some people who have a red R on their chest. If that's not our Aura Guardian and Team Rocket then I don't know what is!" said Jenny driving her police car through the forest like crazy with more cars behind her.

"I'm taking a helicopter. Be there as soon as I can!" said Solana quickly.

"Make it quick. I don't want to miss him!" said Jenny and she canceled the call.

* * *

 _Meanwhile outside the Evolution Mountain_

"Thank god for you, mister. You are a gift from Arceus himself. You saved us, and I am eternally grateful to you." said a woman with fair hair and green eyes. She is wrapped in a towel and is leaning against the rocks near the entrance into the mountain with her savior right before her. He himself was sitting on top of the Luxray and was looking at her with those beautiful blue eyes.

"You don't have to thank me, m'lady." said Ash to her.

The woman wanted to say something again, but was interrupted when two Tauroses came out of the cave, with two women sitting on top of them. Since Mewtwo canceled the connections that connected all their minds, he had to communicate with his Pokemon in classic speech. Or through the Aura link. But he is too weak to attempt to do that.

"Are those two the last?" asked Ash. To this, both Tauroses just nodded. This attack was much more successful than the last. They managed to save 5 women. 7 with those two on top of Tauroses. Unfortunately, other 26 weren't so lucky. With one man in the mix. Ash was finding this intersting. Why experiment only on women? Yeah, the grunts want to have... fun with them. But still. Why? Why only woman?

Then, police sirens were heard. And since Mewtwo is regaining some of his energy now, he can't teleport them right away now. Seems like he will have to stall the police for some time. Tauroses let the two woman join the rest and all of Ash's Pokemon with Ash on top of Luxray were lined up in front of the entrance, preparing themselves for the teleportation.

"All of you hang on a minute. Mewtwo has to regain the energy to bring us back. Just... act tough and let me do the talking in the meantime." said Ash to the group. He was surprising himself with how he can keep his head calm and collected when unwanted surprises show. Those 3 years did miracles in his head. He should have known that the man that was watching them a few minutes ago was going to call the police. Well, too late for that now.

The police car stopped in front of Ash and out of it immediately jumped an officer Jenny and pointed a gun at him without hesitation. Well, that escalated quickly.

"DON'T. MOVE." said Jenny with the gun pointing at him. Ash sighed and began talking to her.

"Lady Jenny. The last person who said those words to me ended up unconscious and with a broken rib. You don't want to end up like him do you?" asked Ash he then began reaching to his back where his staff was. Unfortunately, his staff was long and Jenny saw what was attached to the back of the cloak.

"I said. DON'T. MOVE. BOTH OF YOU." said Jenny again this time addressing the Luxray that was carrying the Aura Guardian too.

"Lady Jenny. Please. I don't want to hurt pretty lady like you. Drop the gun. I pose no danger to you. You should go and check the survivors instead." said Ash when he stopped his hand from reaching his Bo staff. He even pointed at the 7 women leaning against the rock, where they were resting.

"You wish." said Jenny back. The situation between them was getting much more intense.

 _"Should I destroy the gun?"_ asked Metagross in his pokelanguage from the crowd of Pokemon behind Ash.

"That won't be necessary, Metagross." replied Ash and get his hands back on Luxray's back. The fear and anxiety could be sensed miles away from officer Jenny. Ash can't really blame her. She just wants to try to find out what is going on. And he is a complete mystery to everyone, so no hard feelings against her. Scared people make unpredictable decisions. _"Just don't scare her and it'll be okay."_ thought Ash.

"W... What are you talking about?" asked Jenny nervously.

"Lady Jenny. Metagross can destroy your gun in milliseconds. If I would have wanted, you would be defenseless already." said Ash. And to this, he heard other sirens in the distance. Of course, she wouldn't come here alone.

"Please. Lady Jenny. Drop the gun. I am not your enemy. I just want to help people. Just like you want to help the innocent." said Ash. It was hard to sound like he doesn't want to hurt anyone with the deep voice he has. But what can you do? You have to work with what you have.

Jenny's hand began shaking. It was all too much for her to withstand. And who could blame her? She is in front of The Last Aura Guardian and an army of Pokemon behind his back. And what does she have? A gun. Yeah, reinforcements are coming, but after what they saw outside of the caverns in Johto, what chance few officers have against him? She eventually decided on what to do and with a sigh, she dropped the gun.

 _"Ash I am ready for teleportation."_ said Mewtwo in Ash's head.

 _"Wait a minute."_ said Ash.

"Thank you. And lady Jenny. I want to politely ask you to not intervene with my plans in a future. I don't want you or your women on duty to be hurt in a cross-fire." said Ash to Jenny.

"W... What?!" said Jenny surprised.

"Don't come after Team Rocket. I would be very upset if I would see you or your co-workers in the state of the woman I am finding inside their laboratories. Leave Team Rocket to me." said Ash.

"You want the police just watch this?! I can't let that happen!" said Jenny angrily.

"Why not? You have watched and didn't do anything so far... Just like I did before I intervened." said Ash.

This silenced Jenny. She was looking at the Guardian on top of the Luxray with watchful eyes. She was finally able to examine him carefully. His eyes were truly magnificent.

"Do this for me and I promise that I will put the head of this organization in chains." said Ash.

"... Why? Why don't you want us to intervene? We would help you. It's our job!" asked Jenny.

Ash smiled a little under his beard. It seems like Jenny was getting finally to his side. However, the sirens grow louder with every second. He better make it quick.

"That may be true. But on the other hand, I would have to look after you. Me and my Pokemon work together and thanks to our teamwork we are able to bring those bases down. Our communication is a big factor here too. If an unknown force got into our established system, it would throw the system of the track. We trained specifically for this lady Jenny. Please. Trust me on this one." said Ash.

"So you are trying to say we would be a burden?" asked Jenny.

"No. Not at all. You would be a great help and it would make the process of catching them actually faster. However. Do you really want to sacrifice more people to this cause when I and my Pokemon can do it alone without casualties?" asked Ash.

"...No." said Jenny as the image of the marble wall with dozens of names appeared in front of her.

"Me neither. Just prepare more cells for these guys and leave everything to me." said Ash as he pointed at the grunts that were tied together.

Slowly but surely police cars appeared on the horizon. This was Ash's cue to go.

"Hoenn or Sinnoh base is next. I have to go through the files first to find them, so it will take some time. But still. Be ready for the arrival of new prisoners." said Ash and after a slight pause, he continued.

"It was a pleasure to meet you lady Jenny, unfortunately, I have to go. Publicity isn't really my thing. I bid you farewell and safe ride home. Take care, lady Jenny." said Ash before disappearing from Jenny's sight right there with all of his Pokemon before the other police cars reached them.

* * *

In the familiar office, one man was watching his computer screen carefully. The Aura Guardian strikes again. And again, he is making his way through his grunts without that much of an effort. So far he didn't spot any mistakes or flaws in his attacks that he could exploit. That was until he was shot in the leg. His backup didn't work, but it gave him an idea. A brilliant idea. It is easier to catch the Aura Guardian off guard then he initially thought. And the best part is, he'll get him basically unscratched for the experiments. Finally, he'll erase this unexpected problem. He picked a phone and dialed the number of his right hand.

"Hi, Domino. I know how to catch the Aura Guardian that causes so much trouble to me. Listen closely..."

* * *

 **Author's note: A cliffhanger! Sorry. So they took down another base. Seems pretty good so far for Ash and co. heh? Anyway, not much fight scenes in this chapter, but I don't want to repeat myself. Ash fights the exact same way as the previous chapters. And Mewtwo. I know you probably want to see Mewtwo in action, but that will have to wait. You use the nuke as the last resort. Right?**

 **There will be a little sub-plot as Steven and his crew goes to investigate the tremors on Mount Coronet. So you can be looking forward to that if you like Steven. And another one with Scott. I hope that the payoff of those storylines will be worth your time.**

 **Anyway. A lot of people (and by a lot I mean 3-4) wants to expand the move list of Ash's Pokemon. I don't really like the idea. When they have 4 moves, the battles are much more interesting in my opinion. Like I said. For me "less is more". Maybe one or two of Ash's Pokemon can have 5-6 moves but that's about it. You can share your opinions with me on this topic if you want.**

 **So third base will be in next chapter. Also some interesting things will finally happen. Finally.**

 **That's all from me. Faptime is out.**

 **Ash's Pokemon in The Haven and their moveset:**

 **Pikachu (Male) – Thunder, Quick Attack, Iron Tail, Volt Tackle**

 **Luxray (Female) – Thunder Fang, Crunch, Volt Switch, Wild Charge**

 **Bulbasaur (Male) – Vine Whip, Razor Leaf, Leech Seed, Solar Beam**

 **Meganium (Female) – Grassy Terrain, Magical Leaf, Vine Whip, Petal Dance**

 **Sceptile (Male) – Leaf Storm, Solar Beam, Leaf Blade, Double Team**

 **Torterra (Male) – Leaf Storm, Energy Ball, Rock Climb, Synthesis**

 **Feraligatr (Male) – Ice Fang, Crunch, Slash, Bulldoze**

 **Crawdaunt (Male) – Bubble Beam, Knock Off, Vice Grip, Harden**

 **Kingler (Male) – Water Gun, Metal Claw, Crabhammer, Hyper Beam**

 **Floatzel (Male) - Aqua Jet, Hydro Pump, Sonic Boom, Ice Punch**

 **Milotic (Female) – Aqua Tail, Water Pulse, Scald, Twister,**

 **Torkoal (Male) - Heat Wave, Overheat, Iron Defense. Rock Slide**

 **Typhlosion (Female) – Flamethrower, Eruption, Aerial Ace, Swift**

 **Infernape (Male) – Overheat, Flare Blitz, Mach Punch, Dig**

 **Charizard (Male) – Flamethrower, Dragon Rage, Dragon Tail, Seismic Toss**

 **Noctowl (Male) – Confusion, Sky Attack, Air Slash, Extrasensory**

 **Swellow (Male) – U-Turn, Roost, Aerial Ace, Double Team**

 **Staraptor (Male) – Quick Attack, Wing Attack, Brave Bird, Close Combat**

 **Tauros x30 (Males) – Fissure, Take Down, Horn Attack, Zen Headbutt**

 **Snorlax (Male) – Ice Punch, Rest, Hyper Beam, Body Slam**

 **Donphan (Male) – Rollout, Earthquake, Take Down, Hyper Beam**

 **Gliscor (Male) – X-Scissor, Fire Fang, Giga Impact, Stone Edge**

 **Heracross (Male) – Megahorn, Sleep Talk, Focus Punch, Hyper Beam**

 **Muk (Male) – Sludge Bomb, Body Slam, Mud Bomb, Acid Spray**

 **Toxicroak (Male) – Sludge Wave, Poison Jab, Sucker Punch, Low Sweep**

 **Glalie (Male) – Ice Beam, Shadow Ball, Protect, Crunch**

 **Garchomp (Male) – Dig, Slash, Dragon Rush, Draco Meteor**

 **Sableye (Male) – Shadow Ball, Power Gem, Will-O-Wisp, Detect**

 **Lucario (Male) – Aura Sphere, Blaze Kick, Bone Rush, Force Palm**

 **Metagross (Genderless) - Meteor Mash, Gyro Ball, Psychic, Flash Cannon**

 **Aggron (Male) – Metal Claw, Metal Sound, Iron Head, Thunderbolt**

 **Weavile (Female) – Night Slash, Metal Claw, Hidden Power, Blizzard**

 **Absol (Female) – Night Slash, Razor Wind, Attract, Fire Blast**

 **Tyranitar (Female) – Stone Edge, Earthquake, Dark Pulse, Dragon Claw**

 **Gardevoir (Female) – Teleport, Light Screen, Calm Mind, Heal Pulse**

 **Mewtwo (Male) – Psystrike, Psychic, Dream Eater, Hypnosis**

 **That's it for now.**

 **Reviews are appreciated.**


	15. Last Guardian: Third's time the charm

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Pokemon or any of these characters.**

 **Author's note: Again. I took my time, didn't I? Well. I would like to say I had an important stuff to do. But the truth is. I didn't. I just got hooked on the new God of War game and I played it nearly non stop. And after 2 weeks I finally completed it on the God of War difficulty. And let me tell you. It was a ride to hell. Literally. The fifth insane Muspelheim trial is nearly impossible. The hardest thing in the game. At least for me.**

 **Anyway, enough about Dad of Boi. You are here for Pokemon. The third base awaits for Ash and friends and from your responses, I guess you can't wait. Thanks for the reviews and praise BTW. I appreciate it very much. When I started I didn't expect that so many people will love this story. So, yeah. Thanks again and enjoy the new chapter.**

"classic conversation"

 _"thoughts/Pokespeech/Aura link"_

 _"_ **microphone** _"_

 **That is all for now. Enjoy.**

* * *

 **XI.** **Last Guardian** **: Third's time the charm**

 _"How's the leg?"_ asked in pokespeech Lucario.

 _"Had better times. It hurts a little, but it's nothing major. I should be fine soon."_ replied Ash.

When Ash and his crew got into the cave, Gardevoir went immediately to Ash and tend his wound. The extraction of the bullet was painful without any painkillers, but after the training Ash went through, it was bearable. And after Gardevoir released him from her care, he sat down and leaned against the wall of his room with his bandaged leg.

And as Ash sat there looking through the files he has on Team Rocket to find another base and make some use of the time he is recovering, one of his Pokemon came to him.

Lucario sat down beside Ash and looked into the files. Unfortunate that he can't read any of it. He should ask Mewtwo about it. Ability to read is really useful.

Lucario looked at the Garedevoir, who was healing Toxicroak now. And he began to wonder. This whole fight against Team Rocket is going at a really fast rate. By this pace, they'll beat Team Rocket in 2 or 3 weeks. And when that happens, he'll have to finally talk to Gardevoir about them. And this subject is a subject he is not comfortable discussing. Will he be even able to wait for a little longer? He waited for so long, but now it is getting to him. The awkward silence between them is unnerving.

Nevertheless, he could imagine them together. He even dreamed of it on couple of occasions. And what a pleasant dreams they were. Could she thought the same? He feels the emotions that she has inside of her. And yes she feels a lot of love. But the question is what kind of love?

 _"Lucario. Are you sure you want to wait?"_ asked Ash out of nowhere through the link and slowly put down the files about Team Rocket.

 _"What?"_ replied Lucario.

 _"You don't have to hide it from me, Lucario. I feel the emotions that rage inside you right now. You are helplessly head over heels in love with our Pokemon nurse._ " said Ash.

 _"... I trained you far too well."_ replied Lucario. To this Ash didn't say anything. He just waited for Lucario to finally say something else. And he eventually got his wish.

 _"Ash. Can I ask you something personal?"_ asked Lucario.

 _"Go for it."_

 _"Have you ever felt like that? To feel such a desire to be with someone? To have your mind in a constant thought about that one person? In day. In night. Even in a fight. To have that other part of you, you never knew existed, but when found, you'll realize that you can't be whole without the other part?"_ asked Lucario as the two of them were sitting and watching Gardevoir heal Toxicroak.

 _"... Not like you. But I think I am close to it."_ said Ash quietly. Truth is, he is 99% sure he indeed fell for a girl similarly to how Lucario fell for Gardevoir. And the weird thing is, the girl wasn't here during the process.

Ever since that dream, she crawled into his mind when he least expect it. He didn't take it seriously back then, but now? He knows better. After 3 years in solitude, he is not the naive and dense kid he once was.

Apart from the feelings he is feeling, Aura is involved in this somehow. How else can you explain the same glowing blue mark on both of their bodies that has aura energy in it? And Aura is known to have a strong connection to love.

It all came to him a when he saw that girl, who was emitting so much warmth. He did not know who she was when he was just embracing the feeling of it. But when he came back, he knew. He realized. He knew who she is. It all came together there.

It didn't start in the Haven. Or in that dream. Or even when she showed up while he was watching his mom gardening. No. It was the moment she appeared to him in the dead of a night to put him back on track. He knew, that back then, he didn't care that much about girls. That changed that night. He does not know if it's because of her good looks or the great speech, but something just clicked at that moment. And from that moment, the innocent friendly thoughts were exchanged by not so innocent thoughts about her like. For example. When she touched his lips, man did it felt good. This would not bother him that much. Yeah, it was a little weird, but with no harm done. However, when he fell from the bench, apart from her face, he was looking at things that no gentleman should have been looking at without lady's consent. And since he is all about honor and being chivalrous like a true Aura Guardian now, he is kinda ashamed when he was looking at her like that. But. That was not the end however. Then the dream happened and those not so innocent thoughts went wild. He could no longer control his thoughts about her. Imagination about the things he would do to her in bed was making a giant mess in his head and pants whenever he thought about her naked figure. Even when the logical part of his brain was saying to stop think about her like this. He couldn't help it.

 _"What have you done to me, Cynthia."_ asked Ash himself and Ash and Lucario sat there in silence watching Gardevoir work.

* * *

"Scott?! What are you doing here?!" asked surprised Charles. He was ready to leash out much more, when the doors to his office flew open. But when he saw his friend in an Alola style T-shirt and shorts there, he knew it would be pointless.

"Well. As you know. I am not a very patient man. So when you told me through the phone that our meeting is postponed, I figured out that the best thing will be to visit you personally." said Scott in his usually calm voice and casually eating an ice cream.

"How did you get through the security?!" asked Charles again.

"Easily. Everyone has it's price." replied Scott calmly.

"I'll need to find a new security..." said Charles quietly with a sigh.

"I think you should not. It took a lot of convincing and money before they finally gave out. Others would jump onto my first offer." said Scott as he took a seat across Charles without asking for any permission continuing to eat ice cream like nothing was a big deal.

"What do you want Scott. I don't have time." said Charles.

"Well. How much does your time cost?" said Scott as he took another lick of his ice cream.

"You can't buy my time. Did you forget that I am the wealthiest man on this planet?!" asked irritated Charles.

"Oh yeah. Shame it's not me. First place would suit me better than the second." replied Scott casually.

"Why are you here?" asked Charles forcefully again.

"Fine you grumpy Santa Claus. Listen. I am planning to make the biggest tournament in history." said Scott casually.

"You mean in Pokemon battles?!" asked Charles.

"Yes. A tournament where anyone can enter. No badges. No frontier symbols. Nothing. If you think you have what it takes, you can battle." said Scott with another casual lick of the ice cream.

"Are you crazy?! Do you know how many people would enter?! Isn't a normal Regional conference enough?!" said Charles. He expected something big. But this? It was something enormous he wanted to do.

"Regional conferences are boring. I want something bigger." said Scott calmly.

"Boring?! They are the biggest events in each region!" said Charles.

"Exactly! But I want to make the biggest event in the world." said Scott when he finally finished eating an ice cream.

"How? You have to accommodate every single participant. And there will be thousands of them! What about the food? Do you know how much of it will be needed? And do you even have a place where it would be held?! This is ridiculous! It's impossible!" said Charles with a raised voice.

"Place: Chrysanthemum Island here in Kanto. The island is prosperous because off tourists so they have a lot of things that would be needed like food, medicines and all that stuff for tourists. I think they would gladly help us. For some money of course. You and I would fund the build of the accommodation for trainers and the stadiums for the preliminary rounds of the tournament. Then we would build the main stadium. The biggest stadium yet. One that would hold hundreds of thousands of people. The stadium of stadiums." said Scott. Charles was quiet the whole time.

"I did my research on this topic. This tournament is on my mind for a while. So ask me anything you want. I have it all planned out." said Scott calmly.

"...Scott. Do you know how much money we would have to invest? Our pockets will be dried out with all the propagational material we would have to do too. Not to mention the construction of at least 10 stadiums plus that stadium of stadiums of yours. And it is very plausible that this project won't be even finished. If that would be the case we would lose a LOT of our money. This is a very risky move." said Charles.

"Oh please. By the time next conference rolls around your pockets will be full again. Especially if you'll keep that grey-eyed, blonde-haired supermodel around. So you have nothing to worry about. I am the one who is risking every single pokedollar." said Scott. It is true, unfortunately. Scott doesn't have the investments in the places where it would come back. So if this project would fall short, his money would be gone for good.

"... Are you sure you want to go through with this? Don't you want to invest in something more reliable? There are a lot of things that could go wrong." asked Charles. Scott was right. He himself has nothing to fear. Every conference brings him a lot of money. And with Tobias, the Legendary Hunter of Sinnoh and Cynthia, the Ice Queen of Kanto as the two famous champions, the money will come even if they would not want to. Not that the other champions don't draw attention, but these two are the money makers right now.

"I want this. This is my vision. My master plan. The tournament of a lifetime. And I want to be the one who organized it." said Scott.

"...Ok. I will cancel my plans for tomorrow and we'll discuss this in a further detail then. But, before I'll go to the Police HQ I want to know one last thing. How do you want this tournament to be called." said Charles.

To this Scott chuckled slightly and then answered. "The Omega Championship."

* * *

 _"Are you sure you are ready, Ash?"_ asked the yellow mouse Pokemon in pokespeech looking at Ash's bandaged leg.

 _"Yeah. It's nothing."_ said Ash as he looked beside his leg onto his yellow partner.

The Haven was preparing for yet another attack on the base. After a few days of going through the files Ash had, and some scouting from his flying Pokemon, Ash found the third base in the heart of the deep forest in Hoenn region. The Forbidden Forest. It will be refreshing to finally go to a forest instead of some caves.

 _"I do not think it is nothing. You still limp a little. Are you sure you are ready for the fight?"_ asked Pikachu again.

 _"Pikachu. Even if I would be without a leg, I would still go there now. They need us."_ replied Ash.

 _"I know. But we have to be extra careful. They nearly got you last time. And since you are injured, you are an easy target."_ said Pikachu.

 _"I am aware of it."_ replied Ash.

In a lighten Haven, Ash picked his Bo staff and placed it on a simple holder on his back. Ash then got into his usual attire, and in a dark green cloak came to the place where Mewtwo has been levitating in cross-legged position, with Gardevoir by his side. Pikachu followed Ash and hopped on his shoulder when they got to the two Psychic Pokemon.

 _"Was everyone here already, Gardevoir?"_ asked Ash.

 _"Yes. Only you and Pikachu remain. Good luck and be careful out there."_ said Gardevoir politely through telepathy. Even though some fear could be heard in her voice.

 _"Thanks. Make sure he is okay while we'll be out there."_ said Ash as he looked at focused Mewtwo.

 _"Don't worry. I'll keep an eye on him."_ said Gardevoir.

With a nod, Ash extended his right arm to Mewtwo's forehead. Pikachu jumped onto his hand and placed his paw on Mewtwo's forehead. Pikachu then closed his eyes and let Mewtwo get inside his head. Pikachu then jumped back onto Ash's shoulder and let Ash do the same thing. After a moment Ash opened his eyes, pulled his hand back and looked at his all Pokemon lined up for another attack.

 _"Is everyone ready to go?"_ asked Ash in his head.

A loud yell of yes from all of his Pokemon was heard in his head. Mewtwo winced a little in his position at this.

 _"Sorry, Mewtwo."_ said Ash.

 _"It's OK. Just a little thought overload."_ replied Mewtwo telepathically.

And after a slight pause Mewtwo continued. _"Teleportation will begin in 3...2...1..."_

And before anyone could even blink, they were right in front of a building enveloped by some enormous trees. It was pretty dark out there because of the big trees. And those trees covered the whole building inside the forest perfectly. One could be mistaken that it was nighttime when in reality it's on hour past noon. Another great hiding spot for Team Rocket. But there was something very wrong.

 _"Lucario? Do you feel anyone inside?"_ Ash asked through Mewtwo.

 _"No... Noone is there."_ replied Lucario.

 _"Are we in a right place?"_ asked Glalie.

 _"We are. There are R symbols all over the building."_ said Luxray who checked the building through her X-Ray vision.

 _"Hah. Cowards. Already running away. Guess two beat ups were all it took."_ said Infernape.

 _"Don't make any conclusions just yet, Infernape. Let's investigate the place first."_ said Ash to his Pokemon.

And they did. Ash took his usual 7 Pokemon (Pikachu, Sceptile, Feraligatr, Garchomp, Metagross, Infernape and Toxicroak) with him inside while the Bulbasaur watched the ground outside and Charizard the air. The corridors of this base were the same as the ones in the previous bases. They are in the right place, that's for sure. But Ash didn't sense anyone. He even asked his other Pokemon if they can smell or hear someone in the area. There was truly no one.

And when they opened doors to the lab rooms, not even the dead bodies were there. The place was swiped clean. After an hour of searching, they gave up and Ash met with his Pokemon in the corridors of this room.

 _"I am going to check the main room if they left some files here, even when I doubt it. Feraligatr, Garchomp, Infernape, and Toxicroak. Look around one more time for some clues. Sceptile, Metagross, and Pikachu are going with me to the main room. Don't drop your guard while we are here. I don't like this one bit."_ said Ash seriously.

Ash then made his way to the doors that lead into the main room where the office of the highest ranked grunt was located. He expected this place swept clean too. But to his surprise, there were a few files inside the shelves left. Well, at least he'll get something out of this 'attack on the base'.

 _"Pikachu, Metagorss, and Sceptile. Look around the room to find anything else. I'll look through the files here."_

After he took the files, Ash sat in the chair of the office and took some files to look through them as his Pokemon were looking for anything else. Ash quickly found out that those files were worthless for his search. The files contained the deaths of some people that got in the Team Rocket's way from the time before he was not even born. He already knew that some people were caught in a crossfire long before Ash began to investigating them. So there were no new news.

Suddenly he felt like something stung him in the neck. When that happened he immediately felt a presence inside the room. Someone was behind him with two Alakazam's by their side. He got up and prepared for an attack, but his legs gave out. He then realized that the thing that stung him in the neck was an injection. He tried to pull it out but his hands were giving out fast too. Whatever was injected to him, it has an immediate effect.

"Pikachu..." was his last, quiet, desperate call before blackness took over and he fell from the chair on the floor unconscious.

When Pikachu heard Ash, he turned around and saw a woman with a short, blonde hair and an R on her T-shirt with an unconscious Ash at her feet with two Alakazams by her sides. Without having to think twice, he tried to use Quick Attack but was again stopped by Psychic before he could even start. Metagross and Sceptile turned around too, but it was too late for them also. In the end, the three Pokemon could just watch what will unfold next.

 _"SOMEONE MAIN ROOM! RIGHT NOW! WE ARE CAPTURED!"_ yelled Pikachu in his head trying to call someone here to help them.

"I would gladly chat with you, but I have a delivery to make. Byyye..." she said in a tempting and teasing voice with a smug smile and grabbed Ash's lying body by the shoulders. And then, in an instant, two Alakazams and the short-blonde haired lady teleported out of the base with an unconscious body of Ash.

As soon as Mewtwo lost the connection to Ash, he canceled all of the other connections and teleported immediately to the place where he heard Ash's thoughts the last time. He looked around trying to find Ash, but he was nowhere to be seen. The only thing he saw were widened eyes of Pikachu, Metagross and Sceptile.

 _"What happened."_ he asked them in a not so gentle voice. Silence filled the room for a moment. That was until Mewtwo asked again.

 _"WHAT HAPPENED!"_ but this time it was a yell that was heard even outside. After minute of silence, Pikachu was the one who finally answered.

 _"They got him."_ replied Pikachu quietly and another silence followed. But this time, nobody dared to speak. That was until someone spoke. But it was none of Ash's Pokemon.

 **"So you are involved with this Aura Guardian too? I have to say. I excepted a lot of things. But this... This is a surprise."** said a voice from some kind of speaker that was hidden in the room. Mewtwo and the others looked around the room to find the source of the sound, but they got nothing so far.

 **"I am sure that you will gladly hear that I have no longer an interest in you my little slave... Why you look so mad?... Wait a minute. Was that your trainer?... Huh...Ironic... Well. If you have chosen that man as your trainer, then I have a bad news for you. By the time I'll be done with him, he will be training Pokemon in the afterlife. If some afterlife exists. So. Find a new one... Shame you can't talk without telepathy. I would enjoy a conversation with you right now... Oh yeah and for the record. If I'll see you or the police close to the place where I hold him, I'll kill him on the spot. So don't try anything stupid."** said the voice.

The room then fell into a complete silence again. Nobody knew what to do. Only Mewtwo was looking around like he was trying to find something. Eventually, Mewtwo's eyes fell on the picture of the man he hasn't seen a long time. He flew a little higher to reach the picture in the room. He then looked into the eyes of the man that created him. The man that should rot behind bars. Or even worse. Be dead. And something was... not quite right with the picture. His left eye was different. It had a different tint and it shined differently when examined from this distance. A camera.

 **"Still intelligent. Shame you ran away. We could make unimaginable things together. The world would be lying at our feet. But you chose to become something else. And now. Your friend will suffer because of it. You should reconsider my offer. Slave.** " said the voice.

Before Pikachu or anyone could talk to Mewtwo and calm him down, he teleported them all outside of the building. At seeing the picture of a man that tortured him, Mewtwo's eyes then turned completely light blue and he literally turned the camera that was watching him into a dust. As the dust was seeping from the hole in the picture, Mewtwo then extended his arms to the right and left side and something that looked like an electric psychic shield formed around him. With a roar, that Charizard wouldn't be ashamed of, he was extending the shield in its size. Slowly but surely, the shield reached the wall of the room. When the contact came, shield expanded at such a fast rate, that the whole building exploded from the inside. The force by which the shield expanded threw the pieces of the walls all around the forest, the gusts of wind threw Pidgeys and Hoothoots of the tress, and the flying pieces of the walls even cut down the big trees in the area. A giant cloud of dust from which the pieces of walls were flying left and right was the only thing that could be seen from the outside by Ash's Pokemon. Even Charizard himself had to cover his eyes when the gusts of wind were flying from the now destroyed building. After the dust settled, Mewtwo was standing in a big crater that he created. Looking pissed as ever. The crater itself was the size of the building he brought down. And all around the crater were pieces of the shattered walls he destroyed. The power of a rage filled Mewtwo was showed that day.

Mewtwo then eventually flew out from the crater and landed in front of Ash's Pokemon. And again the first one to speak and break the awkward silence was Pikachu.

 _"They already know. I told him everything while you were... doing your thing."_ said Pikachu with a hint of sadness in his voice.

 _"Lucario? Any signs of Ash?"_ asked Mewtwo seriously as he looked at the Aura Pokemon.

 _"I... I can't locate him when he is unconscious. I'm sorry."_ stammered Lucario who was still in shock by the events that took place.

 _"...Plan B. Everyone back to the Haven, connect to me and we will begin the search."_ said Mewtwo

 _"Wait. Didn't the voice said that if he'll see any of us near his location he'll kill Ash?"_ asked Sceptile.

 _"Didn't you listen?! He'll kill him after he'll do to him whatever he wants anyway! We have to find him!"_ yelled Mewtwo.

 _"Mewtwo. Calm down. We'll find him. Hopefully."_ said Pikachu sadly.

 _"I will make sure that we will."_ said Mewtwo.

 _"Guys! I found something."_ said Charizard. When everyone was bickering about what to do know, he took actions. He flew to the rubbles of the former base and was looking through the mess that Mewtwo created for some clues.

 _"Is it going to help us find Ash?"_ said Mewtwo abruptly.

 _"Not really. But it is something that you have to see. That Ash has to see when we will find him. And we will find him."_ said Charizard with the voice of authority. He picked the file, came to Ash's Pokemon and showed it to the crew. The thing that caught his eyes was a photo. But before he showed the photo to the crew, he showed Mewtwo the front of the file. Mewtwo was the only Pokemon capable of reading. So Mewtwo read the word. There were 3 big letters on the front of the file that spelled one single word.

 _"Red?"_ asked Mewtwo.

* * *

 **Author's note: Aaaaand done. So. The story is finally getting somewhere. We have a lot of things happening in this chapter. First, there is the tournament thing. The tournament was originally meant to be the start of this arc. But I thought that If I would just gloss over the Team Rocket fight you would miss a lot of the juicy stuff. Like the cliffhanger in this chapter, which I am apologizing right now (well, not really).**

 **So I hope that now you understand why I said that chapter 5 will be really graphic. Things that will happen to Ash will not be pretty. So if you have a squeamish, don't read. But if you are a sick fuck like me, then enjoy!**

 **Anyway, Cynthia's part is finally coming too, so you have at least something to look forward too. She had been on sidelines far too long.**

 **P.S: The move that Mewtwo used was Psystrike. Just to be clear.**

 **That's all from me. Faptime is out.**

 **Ash's Pokemon in The Haven and their moveset:**

 **Pikachu (Male) – Thunder, Quick Attack, Iron Tail, Volt Tackle**

 **Luxray (Female) – Thunder Fang, Crunch, Volt Switch, Wild Charge**

 **Bulbasaur (Male) – Vine Whip, Razor Leaf, Leech Seed, Solar Beam**

 **Meganium (Female) – Grassy Terrain, Magical Leaf, Vine Whip, Petal Dance**

 **Sceptile (Male) – Leaf Storm, Solar Beam, Leaf Blade, Double Team**

 **Torterra (Male) – Leaf Storm, Energy Ball, Rock Climb, Synthesis**

 **Feraligatr (Male) – Ice Fang, Crunch, Slash, Bulldoze**

 **Crawdaunt (Male) – Bubble Beam, Knock Off, Vice Grip, Harden**

 **Kingler (Male) – Water Gun, Metal Claw, Crabhammer, Hyper Beam**

 **Floatzel (Male) - Aqua Jet, Hydro Pump, Sonic Boom, Ice Punch**

 **Milotic (Female) – Aqua Tail, Water Pulse, Scald, Twister,**

 **Torkoal (Male) - Heat Wave, Overheat, Iron Defense. Rock Slide**

 **Typhlosion (Female) – Flamethrower, Eruption, Aerial Ace, Swift**

 **Infernape (Male) – Overheat, Flare Blitz, Mach Punch, Dig**

 **Charizard (Male) – Flamethrower, Dragon Rage, Dragon Tail, Seismic Toss**

 **Noctowl (Male) – Confusion, Sky Attack, Air Slash, Extrasensory**

 **Swellow (Male) – U-Turn, Roost, Aerial Ace, Double Team**

 **Staraptor (Male) – Quick Attack, Wing Attack, Brave Bird, Close Combat**

 **Tauros x30 (Males) – Fissure, Take Down, Horn Attack, Zen Headbutt**

 **Snorlax (Male) – Ice Punch, Rest, Hyper Beam, Body Slam**

 **Donphan (Male) – Rollout, Earthquake, Take Down, Hyper Beam**

 **Gliscor (Male) – X-Scissor, Fire Fang, Giga Impact, Stone Edge**

 **Heracross (Male) – Megahorn, Sleep Talk, Focus Punch, Hyper Beam**

 **Muk (Male) – Sludge Bomb, Body Slam, Mud Bomb, Acid Spray**

 **Toxicroak (Male) – Sludge Wave, Poison Jab, Sucker Punch, Low Sweep**

 **Glalie (Male) – Ice Beam, Shadow Ball, Protect, Crunch**

 **Garchomp (Male) – Dig, Slash, Dragon Rush, Draco Meteor**

 **Sableye (Male) – Shadow Ball, Power Gem, Will-O-Wisp, Detect**

 **Lucario (Male) – Aura Sphere, Blaze Kick, Bone Rush, Force Palm**

 **Metagross (Genderless) - Meteor Mash, Gyro Ball, Psychic, Flash Cannon**

 **Aggron (Male) – Metal Claw, Metal Sound, Iron Head, Thunderbolt**

 **Weavile (Female) – Night Slash, Metal Claw, Hidden Power, Blizzard**

 **Absol (Female) – Night Slash, Razor Wind, Attract, Fire Blast**

 **Tyranitar (Female) – Stone Edge, Earthquake, Dark Pulse, Dragon Claw**

 **Gardevoir (Female) – Teleport, Light Screen, Calm Mind, Heal Pulse**

 **Mewtwo (Male) – Psystrike, Psychic, Dream Eater, Hypnosis**

 **That's it for now.**

 **Reviews are appreciated.**


	16. Last Guardian: Dance with the Devil

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Pokemon or any of these characters.**

 **Author's note: Much sooner than the last time. That's an improvement. Anyway. Big news coming. I have a Beta Reader! Yay! So. I hope that with that my story from this point on will be much bearable to Grammar Nazis. If they somehow managed to read through my atrocious grammar.**

 **The beta reader is named LAVO and I am really grateful that he offered me this. Really cool dude and very passionate about this story it seems. So I hope that together we can make this story better. So one last time. Thank you, Lavo.**

 **So now onto the story. Ash was captured. And since I was warning you. I will warn you one last time.**

 **BIG FUCKING WARNING FOR SOME DISTURBING SCENES IN THIS CHAPTER!**

 **Anyway. It's not as bad as I thought it would be. However. It is still not for someone who is easily disgusted. So If you don't like these kinds of stuff. Go away and read next chapter.**

"classic conversation"

 _"thoughts/telepathy"_

 **That is all for now. Enjoy.**

* * *

 **XII.** **Last Guardian** **: Dance with the Devil**

"Glad we could all meet today. A lot of things happened in the past few weeks and I have a lot of important news for you." Charles explained. Champions and the guest were in a familiar room, where all their monthly meetings took place. But, to the surprise of the others, there was an empty seat.

"Charles? Where is Steven?" Tobias questioned Charles first in his as per usual, calm and collected voice.

"Glad you asked. I guess we'll start with that. As you all know, we got a report from the villages near Mount Coronet that there were slight tremors surrounding the mountain. I asked Steven to go there and investigate what the cause of those tremors is. Steven took the offer and he, with the group of climbers went to the mountain yesterday." said Charles.

"How long will he be gone?" asked Lance dressed in his usual cape. Lance was glaring at Tobias. He doesn't know what it is, but something about Tobias just creeps him out. Always acting so mysterious with that red cape of his and half-covered face.

"That depends on what he finds there. It could range from a few days, to a month. He'll be giving me constant updates on his situation, so we should be well-informed of what is going on there." replied Charles.

"Do you have any idea what could be the cause of this situation?" asked Cynthia. She was a little disappointed when Charles chose Steven for the job. She too, is an adventurer like Steven. But I guess it was fair. She went on an expedition the last time, so now it's Steven's turn.

"Unfortunately no. We can only hope that Steven find some answers." answered Charles. The only answer that he could toy with was an earthquake. But Mount Coronet never showed any signs of tectonic activity. So his only theory was aptly thrown out the window.

"Anyway. Onto another news. Since Steven is gone for Arceus knows how long, I have decided that it will be his Elite Four that will go to the Kalos Region and initiate the first steps to build the Kalos conference. Hoenn Elites are already on a plane on their way there. So that's finally taken care of." informed Charles.

"Now onto the bigger things. There are 2 bits of news I have to share with you. The first is an announcement. Scott and I are working on a very big project. We would be very glad if all of you would help us." said Charles. Unfortunately this is Scott's project. So the Champions, if they so choose, could decline the offer to participate. We can only hope that this garners enough interest in the project that they will just decide to participate anyways.

Charles then told them in great detail what he and Scott are planning. How they had already hired the workers to build the stadiums on the Chrysanthemum Island. How they had already partnered with the island for the event.

The reactions to this were mixed. Lance was eager to fight in the championship. Cynthia was a little skeptical about the whole ordeal but still excited at the prospect. Tobias was dead quiet, with the occasional question here and there. Then there was quiet Caitlin from Unova, her quiet nature doesn't garner too much attention, now that everyone knows of her powers.

After the initial shock, most of the Champions understandably, asked a range of questions. And to some of those questions, even Charles didn't have the answers to. At least not yet. Unfortunately, Scott doesn't share everything with him.

"So. Can I count on your help? This isn't gonna easy task to accomplish. And I need every hand I can find." asked Charles after the little interrogation he went through.

"Of course." replied Lance first.

"Count me in." said Cynthia.

"It would be a pleasure." said Tobias.

"I'll gladly help you, Mr. Goodshow." said Caitlin. Even though Unova has no present champion, Caitlin, along with the Elite Four of the Unova region can very well help with the Omega Championship. Any registered trainer, no matter the region can compete.

"Thank you. With you all, I'm certain that we can pull this off and create the biggest tournament in all of reality!" said Charles enthusiastically.

"And then there is another thing. The people that were constantly disappearing during those 4 years. Police force found some of them." said Charles quietly.

"Really?" asked Lance.

"Yes..." Charles answered quietly yet again.

"Charles... are they okay?" asked Caitlin who clasped her hands together and finally joined the conversation. She knew that this conversation will be serious from now on. Charles manner of talking gave it away clearly.

"No... most of them are dead... with a few exceptions... and those who survived are traumatised..." replied quietly Charles.

"What happened?" asked concerned Caitlin.

"Team Rocket happened. They captured, tortured, raped and experimented on the people that disappeared. And those who went through their experiments are no longer on this earth... I saw the bodies... Let me tell you. Nothing can describe what I saw. And I have seen a lot of things in my long life. But this...I only hope that those poor souls reach heavens and paradise. And even then I don't think it would be a compensation for what they went through..." said Charles.

The room fell into a complete silence for a moment. Most of them knew that those who were lost will never be found again. But to hear what happened to them. It's a lot to take in. The first one who said something after this was Lance.

"Wait. We haven't heard about Team Rocket for a long time. What happened?" asked Lance.

"That's the interesting thing…" Charles started. But was interrupted.

"Charles?" said, someone.

It was Cynthia in her chair. But something was different with her. Everyone noticed that something wasn't right when they saw her.

Then suddenly a short blue line shined through her turquoise blouse. The line was placed on her right shoulder. And it was shining brightly. The line disappeared as quickly as it appeared, but the people in the room caught the glimpse of it. And before they could ask what was going on, another bright blue line was seen. This time the line was longer. And it was on her forearm. Now that the people could see the line on the skin, it looked like a weird blue cut. And again, the blue glowing cut disappeared and a new one appeared. Much larger. This time it went form Cynthia's left shoulder just under her right boob.

"What is going on?" asked Lance.

"I... don't know." said Cynthia. She herself was surprised. She felt a slight tingle in her arm and on her chest. Now she knew what was tingling her. Well. Not really. What the hell do those blue lines mean?

Caitlin immediately shot from the chair and went to her friend to check her condition. It was... weird. She didn't have a fever. She didn't sweat. She looked completely normal. Apart from the blue lines that were drawn on her. And when she came to Cynthia, another blue light shone through her clothes. This time it was on the top side of her left boob. It wasn't a line though. It was a ... stain? At least it looked like a stain. And right after that another blue shining long line on her back appeared.

"Cynthia. Are you OK?" asked very concerned Caitlin when she reached her friend and took her hand.

 _"Help... please somebody... help me... please... I don't know how long I can handle this... please... I don't want to... it hurts... it hurts so much... Lucario... Mewtwo... somebody... anybody... please... save me...I am not strong enouAAAAAAAARGGGHHHHH."_

"Did you hear that? " asked Cynthia.

"What? What should we hear. And what is happening?!" Exclaimed Lance.

"Someone... someone is in pain... You didn't hear it?" asked Cynthia.

"No. Sorry, dear. We got a little distracted by your shining body." replied Charles.

"And nobody said anything." said Lance who watched Cynthia carefully.

"...I think we should get her to the doctor." said Caitlin who was kneeling beside Cynthia examining her carefully.

"I'm fine. It's nothing. And look. The lines are gone." said Cynthia reassuringly.

"Check-up will do no harm. Meeting is over for now. Let's get Cynthia to the doctor. This... is not normal." said Charles sternly and the meeting for today was over. Blue energy. Charles saw it one time in his entire life. Now he is seeing it again. But. Aura was always a power of that only men could control. What is it doing on Cynthia? This is a truly vexing situation. He will have to talk with her about this in private after her visit to the doctor.

* * *

"Now. I will ask again and you better answer me. Who are you related to and are there other Aura Guardians?" asked the blonde haired woman in a Team Rocket outfit. She was holding a bloody knife in one hand, and a burning ember with pincers in the second. In front of her was Ash.

Already he was chained and stripped of all of his clothes leaving him as naked as the day he was born. With almost as much blood. Maybe even more. Both of his hands were tied up with some type of chain and he was hanging there from the ceiling. With only his tied hands keeping him from the ground.

In his right shoulder is a shiv of some kind. The handle sticking out of his bruised shoulder. Then there was the cut on his forearm. Not large but the blood was still oozing from there. The largest cuts were from his shoulder across the chest and on his back. With a nasty burn mark on his left breast.

"No... There are not... And... my whole family... is dead." replied weak Ash. Ash managed to lift his head up to look at Domino. However, he didn't see much of her. His long hair were in a way.

"Sweetheart. You are a terrible liar. Tell me and I will be much kinder to you... Or just drop that Psychic barrier in your head and let Alakazam inside your head. If you are telling the truth then you have nothing to worry about..." said Domino trying to sound as sweet as possible.

"Well... I'm a big pervert... I guarantee you... You don't want to know what is going on inside my head..." responded Ash in pain trying to somehow get out of this situation.

"Even you have to admit this was a weak excuse. Tell me and your suffering will end." replied Domino as she rolled her eyes while still holding her torture tools.

"...If you think that I would tell you anything about my family and my closest ones, when I know what you are doing to the innocent people that cross your path even in a slightest of fashion, you are truly dumber than you look." said Ash trying to sound as confident as ever. But deep down, Ash knew this was just an act. He can't take this forever. He is not strong enough. That was the worst part. He is acting like they can't break him. But in reality. They already did. He just hopes that Mewtwo and his Pokemon will show up. And trust them. Till then. He will just have to pull through. And hope they will come. No matter how long it takes. He can't let his mom go through this. He could not live with himself if he would have done that. That's the person that will keep him going. On who he will be thinking this whole time. On who, he cannot put this torture through. Mom.

When the blade of a knife was cutting its way from his shoulder to the breast, it was indescribable. She made sure that the blade was deep enough for him to feel the pain. And to make it even worse, her cuts weren't fast and harsh. They were slow. Precise. Painfully precise. She was even twisting the blade every few centimeters just to make him cry out of pain. It's clear that she has tortured several people in the past.

And that ember she pressed against his breast. He was struggling, shifting and shouting out of his lungs, but to no avail. She pressed the ember harder against his skin when he yelled. The ember burnt through his skin, revealing raw meat under his skin.

She even came to him and twist the shiv in his shoulder from time to time. Ash doesn't even know how he is managing to stay conscious through all of this. It would be much better if he fell unconscious. The kind of pain this evil woman can inflict is gruesome. She has been only for a half hour with him, but it already felt like a lifetime.

"You asked for it..." said Domino.

When Domino was preparing her knife again, the door of this room opened. The room was a little different from all the others Ash encountered. No iron helmet was above him. Just a chain. And nothing else. Except for the stool with various tools covered in dried blood. On the side of the stool was a furnace with dozens of burning embers inside. White was the color that was covering the tiled floor with only Ash's blood ruining it's perfectly clean image with light blue walls on sides. Nothing else. A room meant for torture.

The door opened and revealed a man in an orange suit. The same man Ash saw on the picture in the Team rocket offices. The leader of this organization. Ash couldn't see him clearly, because his hair was in the way, but he was a good meter away from him when he began talking.

"Ahhhh... We finally meet... my thorn in a shoe... my silent nemesis...Did he tell you who he is or his relations?" said the man. His voice was surprisingly calm. Even reassuring it would seem.

Domino then just shook her head. It was frustrating trying to force the Aura Guardian to talk. They need to know if there are more of them. Aura Guardians are the only ones who can stand against Team Rocket and their plan. And if this one is alive, his father is most likely alive too. And that would mean another Aura Guardian alive and another problem for Team Rocket. Knowing the family of this Aura Guardian, and eradicating all of the family members would be the last nail in the coffin and a certain victory for Team Rocket.

"You are not very talkative are you?" asked the man Ash again.

"Well... What can you do... Domino... Put this around his neck. I don't want him to contact anyone outside." said the man and he give Domino some kind of collar.

Domino just nodded and placed the collar around Ash's neck. And even though Ash was struggling, the collar was put on his neck eventually. And immediately after the collar was put around his neck, a large shock of electricity ran through his body which resulted in a large cry of pain from Ash.

"Are you sure it'll work, Giovanni?" asked Domino.

"Yes. Aura Guardians have to focus to contact someone with their abilities. This keeps him busy every 30 seconds. Besides. You are here too. I'm sure that he won't contact anyone with you to keep him a company." said the man.

"You trust that book?" asked Domino.

"Yes." was Giovanni's simple reply.

"W...Why..." that was the only word Ash could form.

"So you do talk. Huh." said the man.

"W...hy….are...you... do...ing... this…?." asked Ash who was slowly recovering from the shock he received.

"Simple. You are useless to us." said Giovanni.

"He is?" asked surprised Domino. She was a little surprised when Giovanni gave her a precious Aura Guardian which could be useful. Now it makes sense.

"Unfortunately." replied the man as he began a conversation with Domino.

"How... Why Giovanni?" asked Domino.

"Well. The short version is his powers don't manifest anywhere in his body, unlike we initially thought. So we can't create people like him. We will stick to creation of our own brain programmed Psychics. It's more efficient. By the time we would figure out something about his powers, we will have our own Psychic user if our calculations are correct."

"Then why catch him?!" Domino asked angrily, as she pointed with a bloody knife at Ash.

"Watch your tongue. We didn't know he would be useless. He is the first one we caught. Besides, he would be the only obstacle in the way of our Psychic army. He is the only one who can resist their telepathic attacks. We would have to capture him sooner or later regardless." said Giovanni as another cry of pain from Ash brought their attention back to him. Seems like the collar works.

"I apologize for my behavior, sir... So. does that mean I can do whatever I want with him?" asked Domino in a sinister voice.

"If you want to play with him I won't stop you. Just keep trying to find who he is related to and finish him by the end of the week. He already occupied this room for 3 days and we need this room for useful subjects." said the man.

 _„3... d...days?..."_ thought Ash. So that's how long he was unconscious?

"And before I go. I want you to call grunts from the field back here to the HQ so I can rearrange them. We are short of people and I need them at various bases right now... And even build one." said Giovanni with the slightest hint of anger in his last statement. But it was there.

"All of them? Even THAT trio?" asked Domino sceptically.

"Yes. Even though they are basically useless, they are fast workers and good builders. They'll be useful enough." replied Giovanni and he disappeared from the room.

* * *

Somewhere between time and space, A certain group of 4 Pokemon were watching the events that are unfolding right now. Between white marble pillars in what looked like space, one Pokemon had enough of this. She already saw the torture of others. But now. When the Chosen one was captured, and will be killed in a week, someone has to step in and do something. But as she was preparing to go there, she was stopped by her brother.

"Don't do it, Palkia." said the Temporal Pokemon.

"WHY NOT! Look at HIM! The hope of the world is chained and tortured to death! Somebody has to do something!" yelled Palkia.

"As much as I hate to agree with Palkia. She is right. Somebody has to step in." The third member of the creation trio, the Renegade Pokemon. Giratina.

"We can't." said Dialga calmly.

"Dialga. Tell us more." said Arceus, who was watching the events with his children. He knew Dialga isn't telling them the whole truth.

"I saw the future, father. Hundreds. Thousand. Millions of outcomes already. If we are going to intervene, Team Rocket will rise again. And Chosen One will fail regardless of what we do now." said Dialga.

"But Mewtwo can't find him. Lucario can't find him. How in the father's name can he get out of there? How can he SURVIVE?" asked Giratina.

"In the same fashion he always does. With good decisions and a great amount of luck." said Dialga.

"That's it? Just watch the poor kid suffer and he'll come out of it eventually?" said Palkia angrily.

"Maybe. Maybe not. His future is uncertain. And if you think that he suffered already, don't watch further. His suffering is just beginning." replied Dialga sadly.

And with that, the trio just watched their Chosen One being tortured with sad looks. And one of them had even watery eyes. The god Pokemon himself.

When he sent Ash on this mission, he didn't know this would happen. He promised himself that he, as a god, would make sure he will not have any troubles. And that after the mission will be over, Ash will have a happy life. A normal life. Finally going back home to hang out with old friends. Find new friends. Become the champion. To be the very best like no one ever was. Find love, and maybe even marry. Have some kids. To live an ordinary life. But things don't go how we would wish. Instead of a happy life, he received 3 years of isolation and training, that resulted in this. A painful torture.

 _"It seems like the harshest lives wait for the kindest souls."_ thought Arceus sadly.

* * *

"This will be fun." said Domino to chained Ash. Right after she finished the sentence, the color turned on and Ash was again electrocuted.

Domino smiled at the sight before her. Her toys don't last long. But this is an Aura Guardian. They are rumored to have a better metabolism. Organs with longer lifespans than regular humans. And faster regeneration. They are the male line of perfect humans according to the book.

 _"Well. Let's test that."_ she thought.

She then went to Ash and grabbed the shiv inside his shoulder. She then leaned next to his left ear and whispered quietly.

"Okay. Let's make a deal. What do you say?" Domino whispered into Ash's ear and she twisted the shiv in the shoulder slightly, just to make Ash groan a little.

"Tell me who you are. Tell me where are you from. And I will end this quickly. I will give you a quick death... Even to your loved ones." she said in what seemed like a seducing tone.

"Or you could resist. I have a lot of things that I want to test on you. And they are not pretty. Not from your point of view anyway." she whispered again. When she didn't hear any reply, she twisted the knife in Ash's shoulder for full 90 degrees, to which Ash screamed again. However, Ash had no time to relax. When his scream ended the collar turned on again.

Domino then examined the man before her further. And she knew what next step she'll make. The best part on torturing someone is to scare them for life. And she knew what to do to scare a man. She had a lot of practice in that regard.

She took the bloody knife and pressed it against the man's chin. The disappointing part was that the man didn't react. Again. Well, this was not meant to scare him. But still. His self-control is admirable to say at least. She then went from Ash's chin to the torso and lower until she came across the precious thing between his legs.

"Well. Well. Well. What do we have here... I have to say. I'm impressed... Such a stud... Wouldn't it be a shame if you would... lose it?" Domino said sleazily. But again. The man didn't do anything just look at her through the mess of a black hair he had.

It was getting on her nerves by this time. Not even this scares him? She took the knife and angrily stabbed the man in front of her right in the stomach. And again the collar turned on amplifying the pain that the Aura Guardian has to go through. Cries of pain turned to roars and the deep voice of the man turned even deeper. It was like torturing a beast.

"COME ON! BE AFRAID!" she yelled at him.

After the man in front of her finished his scream of pain, caught up some blood, he looked at her with those piercing magic blue eyes. And with a raspy voice, he slowly responded.

"Look... I know... that I am... going to die...in...a...week... So... I ask you... What purpose... does my... weiner have... when I'll... soon die?" said the man shakingly in a raspy voice. It took whole 30 seconds for him to say this sentence. So when he finished, he received another round of electricity.

"I have ...nothing to lose." said the man in a raspy voice. Domino could swear that she heard the man mumble under his beard 'I failed', but she wasn't 100% certain.

"You are a smart one... That's rare." said Domino.

She kinda admired his logic. Most men shrink in terror when she suggest putting the knife to their members. But that didn't work on this guy. And the tools she brought with her will make little difference in that regard. She'll have to ask some scientist here if they can make her something that would make this guy suffer much more than her ordinary tools. Aura Guardians are truly not ordinary people. He will be a tough egg to crack open. However, everyone has its boiling point. And she was gonna make sure that water would start boiling soon.

* * *

 **Author's note: And that's it. This chapter was supposed to be longer, but I have decided to stop here and split it into two parts. So Ash's torture is not over yet. In fact. It just began.**

 **Anyway. Now you should know how Giovanni wants to take over the region a reign Kanto. I gave Giovanni that calm collected personality and Domino the right opposite. The impulsive nature that can be recognized when something isn't going her way. So that's something about these two.**

 **And yes the trio that I hinted at will come back. I didn't forget about them. It took a time but they will appear. So you have that to look forward too. If you like them.**

 **And I have one last question. I have been thinking. It is clear that Cynthia and Ash will get together eventually. And since this story has an M rating stamp on it. Do you want me to write some lemony scenes with the two of them in the future? It is still a long way to go before that would happen. But I just wanted to know your opinion on it in advance. When I will reach the part where these kinds of scenes would be incorporated, I will put a pole on that.**

 **That's all from me. Faptime's out.**

 **Ash's Pokemon in The Haven and their moveset:**

 **Pikachu (Male) – Thunder, Quick Attack, Iron Tail, Volt Tackle**

 **Luxray (Female) – Thunder Fang, Crunch, Volt Switch, Wild Charge**

 **Bulbasaur (Male) – Vine Whip, Razor Leaf, Leech Seed, Solar Beam**

 **Meganium (Female) – Grassy Terrain, Magical Leaf, Vine Whip, Petal Dance**

 **Sceptile (Male) – Leaf Storm, Solar Beam, Leaf Blade, Double Team**

 **Torterra (Male) – Leaf Storm, Energy Ball, Rock Climb, Synthesis**

 **Feraligatr (Male) – Ice Fang, Crunch, Slash, Bulldoze**

 **Crawdaunt (Male) – Bubble Beam, Knock Off, Vice Grip, Harden**

 **Kingler (Male) – Water Gun, Metal Claw, Crabhammer, Hyper Beam**

 **Floatzel (Male) - Aqua Jet, Hydro Pump, Sonic Boom, Ice Punch**

 **Milotic (Female) – Aqua Tail, Water Pulse, Scald, Twister,**

 **Torkoal (Male) - Heat Wave, Overheat, Iron Defense. Rock Slide**

 **Typhlosion (Female) – Flamethrower, Eruption, Aerial Ace, Swift**

 **Infernape (Male) – Overheat, Flare Blitz, Mach Punch, Dig**

 **Charizard (Male) – Flamethrower, Dragon Rage, Dragon Tail, Seismic Toss**

 **Noctowl (Male) – Confusion, Sky Attack, Air Slash, Extrasensory**

 **Swellow (Male) – U-Turn, Roost, Aerial Ace, Double Team**

 **Staraptor (Male) – Quick Attack, Wing Attack, Brave Bird, Close Combat**

 **Tauros x30 (Males) – Fissure, Take Down, Horn Attack, Zen Headbutt**

 **Snorlax (Male) – Ice Punch, Rest, Hyper Beam, Body Slam**

 **Donphan (Male) – Rollout, Earthquake, Take Down, Hyper Beam**

 **Gliscor (Male) – X-Scissor, Fire Fang, Giga Impact, Stone Edge**

 **Heracross (Male) – Megahorn, Sleep Talk, Focus Punch, Hyper Beam**

 **Muk (Male) – Sludge Bomb, Body Slam, Mud Bomb, Acid Spray**

 **Toxicroak (Male) – Sludge Wave, Poison Jab, Sucker Punch, Low Sweep**

 **Glalie (Male) – Ice Beam, Shadow Ball, Protect, Crunch**

 **Garchomp (Male) – Dig, Slash, Dragon Rush, Draco Meteor**

 **Sableye (Male) – Shadow Ball, Power Gem, Will-O-Wisp, Detect**

 **Lucario (Male) – Aura Sphere, Blaze Kick, Bone Rush, Force Palm**

 **Metagross (Genderless) - Meteor Mash, Gyro Ball, Psychic, Flash Cannon**

 **Aggron (Male) – Metal Claw, Metal Sound, Iron Head, Thunderbolt**

 **Weavile (Female) – Night Slash, Metal Claw, Hidden Power, Blizzard**

 **Absol (Female) – Night Slash, Razor Wind, Attract, Fire Blast**

 **Tyranitar (Female) – Stone Edge, Earthquake, Dark Pulse, Dragon Claw**

 **Gardevoir (Female) – Teleport, Light Screen, Calm Mind, Heal Pulse**

 **Mewtwo (Male) – Psystrike, Psychic, Dream Eater, Hypnosis**

 **That's it for now.**

 **Reviews are appreciated.**


	17. Last Guardian: Good hearts

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Pokemon or any of these characters.**

 **Author's note: Another chapter is here!**

 **So first of all. This is the last time that I will display the torture in this graphic way. A lot of you told me you are not exactly happy about it so I will listen and it will not appear again.**

 **Second of all. Some people pointed out that having Arceus and god-like Pokemon do nothing is BS. On that note. I have to agree with you. But. If we would go by logic, then every problem ever would be solved by the creation trio and Arceus. So I hope that you understand why they are how they are in this fic.**

 **BIG FUCKING WARNING FOR SOME DISTURBING SCENES IN THIS CHAPTER!**

 **And now I really mean it. The torture is truly disturbing in this chapter so go away if you are not ready for it. Especially once the 3 days later part start. So be prepared. Now if you are still here onto another chapter.**

 **SHOUT-OUT TO LAVO. I AM GRATEFUL THAT HE TOOK HIS TIME WITH THIS CHAPTER AGAIN AND RAN THROUGH IT. THANK YOU!**

"classic conversation"

 _"thoughts/telepathy"_

 ** _"book"_**

 **That is all for now. Enjoy.**

* * *

 **XIII.** **Last Guardian** **: Good hearts**

"See? I told you I was OK. Nothing to worry about." replied Cynthia reassuringly.

The walk to the doctor was... interesting to say the least. When they stepped outside, the marshmallow soft clouds started rolling in. Thankfully it was still warm. Cynthia's body didn't start glowing again when they were headed to the doctor. However, upon reaching the doctor, another blue line wisped across on her stomach, along with the one on the shoulder appearing again.

But the most interesting part was that every half minute something around her neck shined. The older female doctor examined her and she couldn't find anything wrong. She worked in the field of medicine for over 20 years but she has yet to see anything quite like it. She ran every test she could to determine what is happening but found nothing. For all intents and purposes, the blonde teen sitting on the hospital bed in front of her was a perfectly healthy woman.

The hospital room looked like a regular hospital room. There was a bed in the corner of the room, with some sort of metal stand next to it with dozens of medical equipment such as syringes, bandages, cotton swabs, a pair of tweezers etc. And in the middle of the room was a large white desk with a pretty new computer. Next to it was a printer and all around the table were papers and recipes. The room was decorated nicely overall.

"Nothing to worry about?! You are shining like a Christmas tree and there is nothing to worry about? There is definitely something wrong and I'm gonna do my utmost to figure out what exactly is going on with your body." asked concerned Caitlin.

"I'm sorry, but there is nothing wrong with lady Shirona. According to the results…" the older female doctor began, but was interrupted by Caitlin.

"According to results? You saw it with your very own eyes. Something is wrong!" said Caitlin a little angrily.

"Caitlin. Lance. Can I have a moment alone with Cynthia and Mrs. Amano?" asked Charles who was standing near the door with Lance who was leaning against the wall. They looked at Charles curiously, and it even seemed that Caitlin will be protesting but in the end, both of them nodded and left the room like he asked.

"Mrs. Amano. Have you ever heard about Aura?" asked Charles.

"Hmm... I believe so. Isn't that the power some Pokemon use? Lucario is one such Pokemon I believe." asked doctor Amano.

"You are right about that Mrs. Amano."said Charles. "Now, Aura is usually visibly blue and it resides in all creatures. Most can't use it however."

"Blue? Just like Cynthia's… tattoos?" asked the doctor. And after a small pause, she continued.

"Mr. Goodsnow. What are you implying?" asked doctor curiously.

"That not only Pokemon can use Aura." said Charles.

"Wait. Are you saying that I can use Aura?" asked confused Cynthia who was quiet through the whole exchange between them. Psychic would be one thing. But Aura? An ancient power that is limited to MEN only? That just doesn't make any sense. Weird thing is, Cynthia wasn't afraid of what was happening to her, but she was concerned about that voice she had heard.

The strong deep voice that could command the entire army with the level of authority that men can only dream of sounded so desperate in that moment. So helpless. And the pain. The pain in the voice was something that she just couldn't get from her head. The desperate pleas for help. And that cry at the end. Strong, yet weak. Confident, yet broken. Brave, yet afraid. It was unusual. And more importantly. It was real. She knew it was. Not one of her dreams or thoughts felt so real like this one.

"No. I don't think so." said Charles. Charles had a suspicion on who was the cause of this Aura phenomenon. However, he didn't intend to share it with anyone quite yet. He was wrong about Aura Guardians so many times before, that his little suspicion was probably best kept to himself in case it was wrong too.

"So what it is Mr. Goodsnow?" asked doctor Amano.

"I don't really know. Aura and it's power is a tricky thing to figure out. I saw it used once in my life, by a man that wasn't skilled enough to be able to use it afterwards. Today, no one knows how it works exactly. But one thing is certain, you are somehow connected to this ancient power." said Charles. Then the blue line around Cynthia's neck shined again.

"What are we going to do about this." said Doctor Amano pointing at Cynthia's neck.

"I believe that we can let Cynthia go. You said it yourself doctor, she is completely healthy and this is an ancient power that modern medicine can't solve." said Charles as he smiled at Cynthia.

"Are you sure we can't keep her here longer? I would like to study this Aura thing in greater detail." said doctor Amano.

"You can study it on the Pokemon like Lucario if you want. And yes I am sure. Worry not, I'll keep an eye on her. If something else should happen to her, you will be first one to know." Charles said in a reassuring tone.

Thank Arceus he had so much authority in the Pokemon world. Who knows how this might play out if he let Cynthia stay here. They would keep her here for Arceus knows how long just to be able to study this strange phenomenon. And Cynthia is still just a child. Barely 18 years old. It would do no good to keep her here. Besides, she would probably escape regardless of what they say. An adventurer like her isn't going to stay in a hospital bed for too long.

It took a little longer to convince the doctor to stay silent about the whole ordeal and let Cynthia go, but Charles eventually convinced her. You don't become the wealthiest person in the Pokemon world by not being able push your point across. One of the many talents of Charles Goodsnow.

"Thank you, Charles." said Cynthia happily when they exited the hospital room. Charles was always someone she could rely on. There's not many people like him in this world.

"It was nothing, dear. But should something like this arise again, let me know." said Charles. And again, Cynthia's neck shined in a bright blue light.

"Even this? Because I would be calling you every few seconds." said Cynthia said uneasily. To which Charles chuckled and answered.

"Okay. I will say it like this. If any of those blue lines, stains, cuts or whatever they are will feel differently, then call me. Okay?"

"Sure thing." replied Cynthia.

* * *

 _3 years ago_

 _It was a warm sunny evening in the on the Lily of the Valley island. These sunny days were getting really annoying for the majority of the people there. One expects a cold environment, and it's a great weather for a nice swim by the lake. Or even at the seas, which should be cold in this kind of season._

 _But this kind of weather doesn't bother a three human beings at the Lily of the valley conference. Quite the opposite actually. They have the best time of their lives. One member of the group exclaimed loudly in their hot dog stand._

 _"Looks at all the money we've earned!" said the smallest one of them. And by smallest, the member wasn't much bigger than a Glemeow. To be quite fair, if you would look closely, you would find out that he had much more in common with Glemeow, than the other members_

 _"I know right. It's great! With this we can finally buy something nice! I saw this great dress that were made just for me! And a perfume! I have to have it! They are like, especially done to fit me!" yelled the long red, gravity defying hair . Her voice high pitched voice could be irritating if raised a little higher._

 _"Or... We could buy this great, rare bottle cap. Just LOOK AT IT. Isn't she beautiful? It's from the limited edition from the Lily of the Valley conference that was held 15 years ago! They were serving this one-time potato flavoured soda that you can't buy anywhere now! It would be a great addition to my collection! And we have just enough money to buy it!" said the blue-haired man as he showed them a hologram of the bottle cap and the pricing on it._

 _All these three individuals wore usually Alolan style clothes with flowers on their shirts, sunglasses, and shorts. The woman of the group had a nice slim figure with curves at just the right places and was considered a very beautiful woman. Even by herself. Maybe even too much by herself. Then there was the blue-haired man. A slender figure with not much of muscles showing up, but decently strong nonetheless. The third member of this group was the brains of the group. They wouldn't get far without him. A nice bunch of people one would say._

 _"Bottlecap?! From a potato soda?! What are you even thinking about, James!" yelled the red-haired woman. She then picked the newspapers, rolled them up and hit the blue-haired man on the head with a powerful swing_

 _"Ouch! Come on, Jessie! It was just a suggestion. It's not like I spent the money already!" said James as he rubbed the back of his head._

 _"Pretty stupid suggestion I might add." said Jessie._

 _"Not like dresses and perfume huh?" mumbled James and the Cat-like member_

 _"What did you say!" the woman yelled angrily again at the duo next to her._

 _"Nothing!" yelled her companions._

 _Suddenly the screen that was above the entrance to the main stadium at the Lily of the Valley turned on. A familiar brown-haired lady appeared on the screen with a microphone in hand with a sea under the storm in the background._

 _"VIVIAN MERIDIAN COMING AT YOU LIVE FROM THE COAST OF A LILY OF THE VALLEY ISLAND. JUST A FEW KILOMETERS FROM HERE A HEAVY STORM CAME OUT OF NOWHERE AND START RAGING IN THE MIDDLE OF THE SEA BETWEEN LILY OF THE VALLEY ISLAND AND THE REST OF THE SINNOH REGION. SADLY, A HELICOPTER CAUGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF AN UNEXPECTED STORM. THE HELICOPTER DIDN'T MAKE IT. A LIGHTNING STRUCK THE HELICOPTER ENGINE AND BEFORE THE HELICOPTER COULD CRASH INTO THE SEA, IT EXPLODED. KNOWN PEOPLE IN THE HELICOPTER WERE A PILOT LUCAS TAKASHI AND A PASSENGER ASH KETCHUM. SEARCH PARTY WAS SENT INTO THE SEAS, BUT IF THOSE TWO TEENAGERS SURVIVED THE EXPLOSION IS STILL UNKNOWN." finished the reporter on the screen and the screen then went black again._

 _"The twerp just can't help himself can he?" said disguised Meowth._

 _"Yeah. Always asking for troubles even without us there to cause them. How rude of him." said James._

 _"It's a good thing that we didn't follow him. I wouldn't want my hair get messed up in the explosion." said Jessie as she took an hairbrush out of nowhere and brushed her hair._

 _"Really? That's what would be bothering you during the explosion? Not your life or getting out of there? Just your hair?" asked James incredulously._

 _"Do you know how long it takes to get my hair into a condition which is even remotely presentable? And if I have to die, I want to die looking pretty." said Jessie with finality._

 _"..Guys... What if the twerp ACTUALLY died? What will we do then?" asked Jessie her two companions after a slight pause._

 _"Oh pwease. Da twerp has so much luck, it's unrealistic. Of course he survived. He always does." said Meowth confidently._

* * *

Present time

"Move you twos butts already!" said Meowth who was running with his two friends back at the Team Rocket HQ through the storm.

It was an interesting 3 years for the Team Rocket trio. When they found out that their twerp actually died, they didn't believe it at first. That twerp was unkillable. And then some storm puts him under the ground? No. Just NO. They refused to believe that. But then, When they couldn't find him, they had to accept the fact, their frienemy was gone. And they tried very hard to find him. It took a whole year before they finally gave up.

It was a weird relationship they had with him. Enemies who sometimes help each other. And sometimes even root for each other. That 'capture Pikachu gag' was getting funnier with each time they tried it. It brought some joy to their lives.

Their boss didn't care about them. Since the day they were recruited, he sent them out with a task to capture some strong Pokemon. And that was it. No further information, no requirements, no money support for their 'missions'. Nothing. Just capture some Pokemon and you get well paid enough to eat. They started to see that Giovanni didn't care about them shortly after they stopped searching for the twerp.

And then Meowth got a brilliant idea. Since they haven't captured a single Pokemon for Giovanni their whole criminal career, why not to try something different. They know how to sell stuff, that could work Meowth told his companions. And so they began. They were on the search for the events where they can finally earn some money for themselves. And it worked. With their ballon, they traveled from region to region, from an event to an event and they were selling snacks, souvenirs and build some attractions for tourists at places where the events last longer.

And it worked. They had success. They could finally buy the things they always wanted. Jessie was running from boutique to boutique, looking for fancy clothes that she always wanted, ever since she was a little girl. James had to go with her since she always had a ton of bags with her. Although he told her he hated it, deep down he didn't mind helping her carry her bags. He was the one to rate her outfits since she didn't have any other friends to do so. Not that it mattered really. She bought basically everything she tried. There was a plus side to this, even though he would never tell her, it was nice to see her in bathing suits and sexy clothing. On one occasion he had accidently seen her fully unclothed. These were small wins for him, especially if she was gonna use him like a pack mule for all her clothes

James, on the other hand, had only one interest with the money they made. He knew very well that money wasn't everything. If he wanted to, he had tons of money back home waiting for him. Having a decent amount of money to share with friends is much better than being a millionaire all by yourself without anyone to share it with. The only interest for him was his bottle cap collection. So when they saw some rare bottle cap, James bought it. The other two were complaining about how worthless it is, but hey. He was the cheapest one of the group, so they quickly shut up when he reminded them of that particular fact. Machines and clothes were expensive and that's all the other two purchased.

Meowth always loved to built robots, machines and anything that challenged his mind, so he gladly bought some tools and materials to build something from time to time. He upgraded their ballon so it wouldn't pop every time something hit it.

Life was finally great. And since Giovanni didn't expect them to do basically anything, they can do whatever they want and still get money as Team Rocket grunts. A win to win scenario.

Unfortunately, it didn't last forever. Their boss contacted them and required their immediate presence at the HQ. It's a shame. Because you can't just quit Team Rocket. If they could they would have done earlier. So, they had to go back. Even if they didn't want to.

"We are trying Meowth!" yelled Jessie through the rain and strong winds.

The weather they predicted for this week is disastrous. The biggest storm in 20 years is coming straight to the Kanto region. Even now, you can feel it's presence. It was raining non-stop, strong winds were blowing left and right. Rivers were overflowing. Electricity cut off already in a few small villages. Transportation is still manageable, but it will be cut off completely in a few days if the predictions are correct. And the storm hasn't even come to the region fully.

"How long before we get there?" asked James who was the last runner of the group.

"In a few minutes. Hurry up!" yelled Meowth.

And so Jessie, James, and Meowth fought through the storm with all their wills to finally reach their destination.

Tired, and soaked through and through, they finally reached their destination eventually. Guards let them in and they entered the secret hideout in the Kanto forest and were finally able to be in a dry space for once. They saw dozens of grunts going to do their duties in a silent and a little creepy manner.

Not much was said between the trio as they were making their way through the corridors of Team Rocket HQ meeting all kinds of people. Everything that could be said was already said. What does boss want from them? Are they in trouble for abandoning their path? Does Giovanni know they abandon their path? All of these topics were discussed on their way here with no results.

Meowth then stopped for a moment. Jessie and James were still going until they realised that their partner fell behind.

"Meowth. What are you waiting for?! Let's go!" said Jessie in the mixture of yell and whisper.

"I hear screams. Lots and lots of 'em." answered Meowth as his ear twitched a little.

"If we won't hurry up boss will be screaming on us! Move your legs and let's go!" yelled Jessie again as James was observing the whole situation. Meowth looked around for and then resumed the walk to the office of their boss for further instruction.

Once they reached the door, James nervously opened the door. Opened door revealed dark room lighted only by a small lamp on the stool. Giovanni was filling some papers up with his trusty, purring Persian by his side. Meowth would be filled with jealousy three years ago. But now? To Meowth's own surprise, he himself didn't care. He was even more surprised that he didn't want to be by Giovanni's side. Being out with real friends is much better than trying to snuggle to a man that doesn't care about you in a slightest.

"Jessie, James and Meowth. So you finally arrived." said the man as he put the papers down, leaned against his chair and just looked at the two of them. He sipped from a mug that was by his left side and looked at his grunts carefully. Jessie, James and Meowth then went to their knees and like they did hundreds of times through a video chat, they asked.

"What can we do for you, sir?" asked all three of them.

"You will be sent to rebuild the Hoenn base which was destroyed. The team that will build the base is still getting together so you will stay here for a couple of days till the rebuild team will be assembled." said Giovanni calmly and went back to his papers.

"Is that all?" asked James still on his knees.

"Do you have anything to report?" asked Giovanni lifting his head from the paper and raising an eyebrow slightly.

"No." replied Meowth trying to sound as sadly as he could. Giovanni just shook his head slightly in disbelief and said.

"Then that's all. Go to Domino and she will give you the keys to the room where you'll be staying. Now, out of my office." said Giovanni. And with that, the trio got up and left the office.

* * *

 _"I'm tired... so tired... why can't I fall asleep... Why... I want to rest... It's been three days...I want this whole thing over... Let me close my eyes for a little bit... Please... I can't take this... I want to die... please... let me die... just kill me already and let's have this thing over with."_ Ash thought weakly. He was still hanging from the chain they used him to shackle him up. The collar turned on again. By this time he had burn marks on his neck from the constant stream of electricity which he had withstood the whole day. The door of his room opened, and that evil bitch with some book came into the room. She opened the book and began reading.

 **"Aura Guardians bodies hide lots of secrets which can be discovered only by capturing one who possesses these powers. At long last, we finally got one whose heart is still beating. We learned so many things about them from him already. For example, their bodies force them awake when they sense danger nearby. When they can sense sick, disgusting and gruesome intentions in people around them, their brain simply won't allow them to ignore it. They have to fight. It's another interesting thing we found out about them during the Psychic torture. Also, no matter how much pain he recieves, he somehow endures it all. He has a freakish tolerance to pain torture. Whether it's because he's an Aura Gaurdian or he has some experience with torture before, matters not. Either way, as interesting as this all is, there's nothing we have learned that would help us win the war. We have to keep searching for their weakness...and blah, blah, blah..."** finished the blonde haired she-devil as she closed the book and placed it on the stool with her other torture tools. By this time, the collar turned on again resulting in another cry from Ash.

"I'm sure that you are wondering how you're able to withstand all of this while still being visibly conscious. I was curious as well. So I went and looked it up. And it seems that you are just bred for this." said Domino sweet, over optimistic voice that shouldn't have been possible. She really did enjoy this.

"So tell me. You have 4 more days of this torture in front of you. Are you really able to withstand it much more? Will you break first or will the tools?" asked Domino as she came to his stomach and looked not at the stab wound she caused him in anger, but at the hole from the bullet under this cut. And as expected. It was beginning to heal quite nicely too. No infection, just a clean hole through his abdomen.

"Man. For a teenager you have some guts I have to hand that to you. Anyone else would be either dead, crazy or just begging me to kill them." said Domino to Ash. Ash's eyes widened slightly at this, but they were quickly closed when another round of electricity ran through his body.

"Yeah. We know. Your blood says that you are from 15-20 years old. And... if I imagine you without that ridiculously long hair and a thick beard, it would even make sense." said Domino.

"Well. Today I don't have any new tools for you. So we'll have to make the best out of what we have." Domino said to Ash. She looked at the bloody stool near Ash. She tried nearly everything. Cuts to his arms and legs, stabs to his shoulders and even burn marks near his groin. Electricity. Whips. Guns. But he still refused to give in. At least the scientist up in the lab are preparing something that will make him talk.

"So with which one do you want to start today?" asked Domino sweetly before her phone rang and interrupted her speech. She spoke into the recieving end quickly before frowning lightly and saying 'Yes Sir' and finally ending the call in about 20 seconds flat.

"Well. Looks like our play time will have to wait. We ha..." she started but was interrupted by the knock on the door. Domino then turned around and went to the door. She opened them and went outside.

"That was fast. So. You three finally decided to join the party?" said Domino when she noticed the trio in front of her.

"Yes. Da boss said you would have da keys to our room?" responded Meowth.

"I don't have them with me. They are back in my office. Watch the prisoner till I come back with them. And don't you dare touch anything in there or so help me I'll put you in one of those chairs myself!" Domino said, emphasizing the last sentence to them.

"We have prisoners here in HQ?"asked James surprisingly.

"You three are really clueless huh?" said Domino and paused for a moment.

"Go in there. Keep an eye on him, and don't touch anything. I'm sure that even you three idiots can't manage to fuck this up. Is that clear?" said Domino. The trio then nodded and Domino went to gather the keys. And so Jessie James and Meowth stood there for a second before they finally opened the door to the room.

The first thing they noticed was blood. A lot of blood. Bloody shoe prints as Domino was going in and out of the room lead to the very center where some person was hanging. If they didn't know he was alive, they would have guessed it was a corpse on which Domino unleashes her anger. Cuts and burn marks all around his torso, arms, and legs. His face except for one slash across his eye, his feet and his impressive member between his legs were intact it looked. But one can only assume. He was covered in so much blood that it was hard to see what was damaged and what was not.

"Oh Arcues, I think I'm gonna throw up." said James. He had to cover his mouth and pinch his nose when he saw the gruesome result of torture for the very first time in his life.

"What…" was the only word Jessie could form. Like James, she wasn't expecting this. They assumed there is a cell with a prisoner who they had to guard. Why would THIS need a guard?

Meowth, on the other hand, was silent from the moment he entered. His gears in his head start turning and he realized that those screams he heard on his way to Giovanni weren't imaginary. There are far more of guys like him here.

All of them jumped a little when the only thing on this guy turned on. The collar sent another round of electricity and the cries of pain from this man was heard. His voice was raspy that he barely managed to form something that resembled a scream.

"How is he alive…" said Jessie quietly. Is this what Team Rocket was doing? Not stealing Pokemon but torturing people? That's not how they imagined their work. They were criminals. Yes. But this is a monstrosity.

Curious Meowth then slowly approached the man in front of him. He was now right under him looking at his face which hanged low with no energy to be pulled up.

* * *

After another dose of electricity, Ash closed his eyes for a moment. He just wanted to fall asleep. At least for a single minute. At least one round of electricity could go past him. At least one. He then slowly opened his eyes again. At first, he saw a beige blur that looked like a blob. But as his eyes began to focus, the blob took a shape and it revealed Meowth. But not an ordinary Meowth. This Meowth stood on two legs. Not on four.

"What did ya do to deserve dis?" asked Meowth the man above him. And he could talk?! There is only one Meowth that runs around on two legs AND can talk.

"Meowth! Get back from him! You don't know what he'll do to you!" yelled Jessie.

To this, Ash put all his energy into lifting his head up. And he finally saw the woman who was the proud owner of that irritating voice. Red/pink gravity-defying hair and next to her blue-haired man.

"He won't try anything don't worry. He has barely the energy to lift his head up. I think I'm safe." said Meowth.

Ash then began thinking. But he was interrupted by another shock. Man, he can't catch a break from that infernal collar. After it electrocuted him for hundreth time, he pulled his head up and looked around the room. The gears in his head slowly began to roll. Those three can be his way back home if he approached this correctly. He can't afford to make a mistake here. It's probably his only way out of this place. One corner of the ceiling. Second corner. Third corner. And last one. Then another shock. He expected it this time but he made it. No cameras here. Giovanni probably doesn't like a footage from torture on his computer screen. Lucky him.

Ash then looked back at Meowth who stood below him with a sad look on its face. He then heard footsteps. Jessie and James came to him too.

"No. I can't. I see raw meat. I need a bucket." said James when he was close enough and he leaned to the bucket in which Ash's blood was and he puked in there.

Ash then had to ask himself. Can he trust them? They helped each other on a dozen occasions, but this time, it involves their job in Team Rocket. Will they risk everything for him? If he revealed himself to them, then there is the possibility they would tell Giovanni who he is and then his mom... He doesn't want to put his mom through this. And his friends. But it hurts. It hurts so badly. Everything hurt so badly. Just end the pain. I want the pain to end, he thought to himself. This is so damn hard. Can he truly put his faith in them? It could go either way.

But then Ash remembered something. It didn't matter if he got betrayed or not. Whether he's here being tortured or risks his family and friends. The only way he can ensure his mom and friends will be safe, is if he takes out Team Rocket himself. If he doesn't get out of here, his mom and friends will still be in danger when Team Rocket takes full control of Kanto. This was his chance to get out of here and fulfill the mission he was given. It's either he dies 4 days from now or today he survives. The world will be under control of Team Rocket if he dies, so he had to risk it. _"Let's try it."_ thought Ash.

Ash tried to laugh at the irony of it all, but all that came out was a crippled groan. He decided the best way to get their attention was to say what they used to tell him every time they tried stealing his Pikachu. Maybe they would finally see who is hidden behind his long hair and bloody body

"Prepare ... for.. trouble…" said Ash slowly. He stopped for a moment. But he then pulled himself together and continued.

"And... make... it... double"

"To protect... the world... from... devastation."

"To unite... all... peoples... within.. our... nation."

"To denounce... the... evils... of... truth... and... love."

"To extend... our... reach... to... the... stars... above."

And then another electric shock came through the collar. Ash released a grunt at the shock. He then waited for a few seconds and looked at the shocked trio before him. He managed to make a smile for them. And with little energy left he said.

"Your turn…" said Ash to dumbfounded trio.

"Come on... You... don't want... THE TWERP... to... say... your... whole... motto... do you?" Ash finished. The look on their faces was priceless. Funny even. For a split second he forgot where he was and what was happening to him. Jessie and James then looked at each other.

"Jessie?" said confused James.

"James?" said confused Jessie.

"You... got it... a little... mixed up... But it's... fine... You haven't had... the pleasure... to say the motto... for three years…" said Ash to them. He has no idea where he had the energy to speak, but he was glad that he did.

"Team Rocket blasts off at da speed of light. Surrender now, or prepare ta fight." said Meowth quickly not even realizing why he was saying it. Another collar shock came after Meowth finished his part. Ash released yet another groan of pain and then looked at Meowth.

"That's right, Meowth." said Ash with a weird raspy chuckle in the end.

"It's: 'Meowth! Dats right! ' Not da other way around." said Meowth with a smile and tears in his Pokemon eyes.

"I know." said Ash with a smile. And after a few seconds of silence someone finally asked Ash something.

"Twerp?! Is that you?! What are you doing here! You should be dead! And where is you yellow pal?! And what the hell is happening!" yelled/whispered Jessie to him.

"Team Rocket... is... torturing people. I.. tried to.. stop it... but…" and Ash didn't finish because of another shock this time Ash couldn't hold it and screamed again. After it finally stopped, Ash looked at the trio weakly.

"It hurts... so much...Please... help me... I need... to get... out of... here... Please... I beg you... You are... my only hope...to survive." said Ash sincerely to the trio before him. This was it. His final plea for help. From now on, the fate of the world is in the hands of these three. Then the door opened and Domino came in. She was still not in the hearing distance so Ash said quietly one last sentence.

"Please... Nobody can know I am alive…" and then another shock ran through Ash's body.

"What did I say?! Don't touch anything!" said Domino angrily.

"We didn't." said Meowth after a slight pause. The trio was still recovering from what they learned right now.

"Then why are you so close?!" said Domino. She then examined the trio. They looked confused. Shocked. Like something had surprised them. After a slight pause she asked again. "Wait. Did he tell you something?!" asked Domino. And after a nerve-wracking pause, she received an answer.

"No." said the trio in union. But they saw Domino wasn't buying it. Domino was always suspicious of them and she didn't like them very much.

"Don't be so paranoid, Domino. Why would we keep anything from you? We were just curious to see how much you tortured him. And I have to say. You did a pretty good job. Even James couldn't handle it and left you a present in the bucket." said Jessie jokingly.

"Of course... So he didn't tell you anything?" asked Domino now in a normal tone.

"When those tools didn't get him talking, I doubt that anything will." said James as he looked at the bloody stool.

"That's what you think. Something truly special is being made just for him right now. I bet that will make him talk." said Domino and she looked at her prisoner with a sleazy grin.

"And what is dat exactly?" Meowth asked curiously

"That's above your pay grade. Here are your keys. Now, get out of here." said Domino as she threw the keys to James and he sloppily caught them. The Team Rocket trio then threw one last look at Ash before they left the room.

They knew that in every corner of the halls are cameras, so they just nervously walked to their room through different floors and halls until they reached their room. 102 is the number of the room. It was a simple room. Three beds and stools next to them. One desk with a computer and a table with 4 chairs around. Nothing more, nothing less. No windows too, since they were underground. Pretty small and underequipped room actually.

The first thing they did, they nodded to each other and start looking for cameras, microphones or anything else that could get them in troubles. And again, they found nothing. Seems like Giovanni at least values privacy of his grunts. Lucky them. After the search, Jessie was the first one to start speaking.

"What the actual fuck is happening! How is HE alive?! And is it even him?! Did you see him?! He looks completely different!" Jessie yelled in the room. And after her outburst, a moment of silence filled the room.

"We called only one kid twerp. It's him Jessie" said James reassuringly.

"But. But. He died! He shouldn't be here!" yelled Jessie again.

"I was right." said Meowth with a slight smile and a chuckle.

"What are you talking about?!" asked Jessie in a angry tone

 _"Of course he will survive. He ALWAYS does."_ said Meowth to his two human friends.

"But…" Jessie began again but was stopped by James.

"Jessie. He IS alive. And he is here. We don't want to believe it either but it's true." said James and he put his hand on Jessie's shoulder. They looked at each other and Jessie finally calmed down a little.

"So. What now?" asked Meowth.

"What do you mean 'What now?' We will help him of course." said Jessie to the other two which surprised the other two members of their little gang. "Why do you look so surprised?" asked Jessie.

"Well... how would I put it." said James as he scratched the back of his head. "Meowth?" asked James. And with a sigh, Meowth began talking.

"It's dangerous, and well you was always da one who hated da twerp da most. So... we didn't expect ya ta side with him so suddenly." said Meowth.

"Hey. I didn't like him very much but that doesn't change the fact that he doesn't deserve this. No one does! He would be stupid enough to help us if we would end up in the situation like this. Now it's our time to be stupid enough to help him!" said Jessie loudly.

"So I guess it's decided then." said James.

"Yes. We're gonna save da twerp." replied Meowth.

And they got to work. They were planning the whole day how to get Ash out of this Arceus-forsaken place. The debate came even to the fact that they will be hiding for the rest of their lives from Team Rocket. Because if they free him successfully, it will be clear who did it. But surprisingly, nobody cared about being hunted. It surprised the trio how much they cared about twerp's well being. But on the other hand, it wasn't so surprising. Besides. Dressing as someone else and pretend they are someone else is their specialty.

But it is very tricky getting the twerp out of here without attracting too much attention. The biggest problems are the cameras posted on every corner, scattered around the base. They know that if they turn off the cameras, all of HQ will be on their ass. They somehow have to sneak right under their noses without being noticed. And that's almost impossible.

"So we will have to be on the cameras. With the bloody twerp with us. That's impossible. We need to find another way around the cameras." said Jessie.

"There isn't. We need ta find a disguise an somehow sneak through da halls with da twerp with us." said Meowth.

"But the twerp can't even talk. Not to mention walk. Basically a corpse already. We would have to carry him outside ourselves." said James.

"Wait. That's it! We will carry him out like a corpse!" exclaimed a very excited Meowth.

"Problem is. He isn't a corpse. Guys at the exit check if the bodies are alive or if they are dead. It won't work." said James.

"I already thought dat through. We would be screwed. But what if we stop his heart?" said Meowth.

"WHAT?!" asked both James and Jessie.

"Guys, da science lab will have something dat can temporarily stop his heart. I guarantee it. We just need one single syringe of dat stuff and we are good ta go." said Meowth.

"We are playing a really dangerous game here." said Jessie.

"We don't have much of a choice." said Meowth sadly, even though they clearly had a choice. Just walk away. But none of them wanted the easy way out, with a twerps blood on their hands.

"Okay. Let's say that is taken care of. But then we still need a disguise and something on which we will carry him outside." said James.

"Exactly. So Jessie: You''ll take care of da disguise. James: You'll grab a gurney on which we can carry him outside. And I'll get da syringe from da lab. We don't have much time, so we must hurry. I don't know how long da twerp can withstand da torture." said Meowth.

"So. I guess that's it... May Mew be on our side for once." said James to the two friends in the room.

"May Mew be on our side for once." said the other two as they put their hand (and a paw) on top of each other.

* * *

 **3 days later**

"Night sweetheart. I hope you had a great day even though I wasn't here for it. Don't worry, I have something that will make up for the time we were separated." said Domino as she approached her prisoner for the first time today. He didn't even lift his head up. Not in the slightest. She would have thought he was dead if it weren't for the collar to cause a twitch from him and a slight groan.

 _"Seems like he can't even scream now."_ thought Domino. _"Or he got used to it."_

"I have to say I am truly impressed. You lasted 6 days with this torture. Even the most elite guy managed to last 18 hours, that's without the collar." Domino said as she approached her tool desk and grabbed a pair of bloody pincers. She then pulled his chin up with them a little so he could saw her face.

"But before I go to bed, I say that we raise the torture bar since we only have one day left until I have to kill you." said Domino

"I have good news and bad news for you." said Domino. The man in front of her was just looking at her with his tired, magical blue eyes.

"The good news is that this." she said and brought the pincers to the collar around his neck. "is going away." She then grabbed the collar with the pincers and tore it off Ash. Hundreds of scars, riddled across around his neck, some in form of small lightning bolts revealed the damage the electric collar did to him.

"The bad news is, I got something better." said Domino. As she showed him a syringe full of some light green liquid.

"I don't know the full name of this stuff, but I am telling you right now. You will be begging for the collar to come back soon." Domino said in a menacing tone, and without any warning she injected the liquid to his left wrist, finding the right vein needed.

Ash couldn't even begin to describe what the pain felt like after it was injected. He remembers struggling to break free. The struggling became more and more apparent with each second. The prisoner that was once unable to move was now withering in his chains like a madman in a matter of seconds

"CUT IT OFF!" he yelled. Ash he was struggling more and more.

"So it works... Nice." said Domino as she was enjoying the show in front of her.

"CUT THE HAND OFF, PLEASE!" yelled the prisoner as he was struggling in his chains more and more.

"Wow. I may have overdone it." said Domino and she looked at the syringe. This was the first time he was pleading. He always yelled in pain or was quiet during their torture session. Not once he pleaded. She truly overdone it. Scientists told her to give him only half a syringe. But she thought that since he is an Aura Guardian, he will need much more to feel anything. Maybe a ¾ would be the right amount.

"Tell me what I want to know and I will grant you your request."said Domino to him.

"CUT IT OFF!" yelled the man in pain as he was struggling to break free.

"That's not what I want to hear." said Domino. Man, he was completely losing it right now. In the right dose, it should feel like your arm is burning. Is on fire. And the pain receptors in the arm should be much more sensitive with some adrenaline to make him aware of it. Or something like that. She didn't really listen what kind of pain it brings. The important thing was, it should last. And not just through those 2 days. Scientists told her that once it was injected into someone, the only way to get rid of it was an antidote, which they haven't even begun to make her yet.

"PLEASE!" yelled the man.

God, he had to be truly desperate to plead her, since he had to know that whatever he was doing before wasn't gonna get him anywhere.

"That won't work either. Say your name!" said Domino.

"NEVER!" yelled the man again with desperation.

"You are just incorrigible!" exclaimed Domino.

"DO IT! KILL ME! KILL ME! KILL ME!" yelled the man from the top of his lungs. It was like he wasn't even there anymore. The person that was now in front of her was completely different from the one she captured. Just how much pain is he withstanding right now? Does the stuff in the syringe have an influence on his behaviour?

"Well. I am going to bed and you better be screaming your name once I get back here in the morning." said Domino and she left the room. She was certain that no matter how much Aura Guardians could withstand, this will be the straw that breaks the camel's back. The water is truly near its boiling point.

* * *

Ash felt terrible. This had to be the torture they reserved for the worst people in hell. If he wasn't in so much pain, he'd laugh at how childish he was. He thought that training during those 3 years was hell. Compared to this, it was like riding a bike. His whole arm was literally in frenzy. It burned so much. Not even Charizards Flamethrowers came close to whatever was inflicting his arm right now. He got a lot of energy from the injection, but it was just to have him struggle and yell. He couldn't do anything to s too the pain. He nearly withstood it though. Just one day and it will be over. But the arm. That left arm pained him brutally. He couldn't do this the whole night. He took it long enough and already, he wanted to die and get rid of the pain.

Were those tears that were falling down? They made him cry. For the first time since he was here. Burning embers, guns and knives didn't create a single tear. All it took was one syringe full of some shit. How much he wants the hand to stop burning. Cutting the hand off is all Ash thinks about since it was injected into him. His mind screamed to get rid of that hand. And all he could do was scream about how much it hurt

Suddenly the door opened again and someone peaked in.

"Guys. The coast is clear. Let's go." said a red haired lady with a mask and nurse outfit folded on the hospital bed. She entered the room with a man who had a hospital bed on wheels and was pushing it forward. There was something under the blankets of the bed, and it ended up being Meowth. Finally Ash thought, thank Arcues they came.

"CUT MY LEFT HAND OFF!" Ash yelled to the trio as soon as they entered the room.

"What?!" asked the trio in a union. This wasn't what they were expecting upon their entrance.

"CUT IT OFF! PLEASE!" yelled Ash yet again.

"What the fuck is he talking about again?" asked Jessie as she looked at the two other members of their gang.

"Looks like the collar is gone... They gave him something else probably..." said Meowth.

"CUT IT OFF! PLEASE!" Ash begged.

"Uhmm... Do you really wa…" James started talking to Ash but was interrupted.

"YES! CUT IT OFF!" yelled Ash again.

The trio then looked at Ash once again. Looked at how he was struggling and how he was... crying? Did he really cry? They never saw him cry like this. Can they really do it? Chop his hand off? That's not something they planned to happen. And certainly not something any of them wanted to do.

"PLEASE!" yelled Ash again.

"So... is there something that I can chop his hand off with?" asked Jessie.

"Jessie?! Are you crazy?! You truly want to chop his hand off?" asked Meowth in disbelief. "And are you deaf? It's not what I want, but he does!" said Jessie.

"I can't watch this. This is too much. Can't we find something else to lessen the pain? Don't you think this is extreme?"

James turned around, away from Jessie and Meowth to face the doors of the room.

Jessie meanwhile looked at the stool. A lot of tools for torture. Thankfully there was a large machete too. She took a deep breath and picked it up. Meanwhile, Ash was still shouting that he wants to have his left arm cut off.

"Meowth! The chain! James, we don't have time to find a cure. We need to move quickly." said Jessie.

And after slight hesitation from Meowth, he jumped up and used Slash attack to separate the chain from the ceiling. Meowth was still not on board with the plan to chop Ash's hand off. Even if the twerp himself wants to. Seems really barbaric.

Ash dropped on the bloody floor and was twisting in pain and was thrashing his body everywhere once he fell down.

"James! I need you to hold him! Meowth cut the shackles so I can chop his hand off." yelled Jessie as she took on the role of a leader.

Meowth did as he was told, even though it wasn't easy. It was quite the challenge with Ash thrashing all about like a Gyrados. But he managed. Then it was James's turn. To say he wasn't pleased was clear, so after some commands from Jessie, he finally jumped on Ash and held his left arm in place so Jessie could do her thing.

"I hope the blade is sharp." said Jessie and she lifted the machete above her head and with a powerful swing, she lopped Ash's hand off. Almost immediately, Ash's screams stopped. His thrashing stopped. He was breathing heavily and wincing slightly, but he finally stopped.

"Guys. We need to patch it with something." said Meowth when he looked at Ash's missing hand warily.

"James. I have bandages in my nurse disguise on the hospital bed. Bring them to me." said Jessie. At least she will put that knowledge she learned at medical school to some use.

And James brought the bandages as quickly as he could. Man, this was not planned at all. Jessie then made sure that the place where his hand was cut off was bandaged properly so that blood wasn't spurting everywhere.

"I'm not sure dis will be enough" said Meowth when he looked at the bandaged wrist.

"It will. Trust me on this one." said Jessie.

"Thank you…" said Ash quietly. The trio just looked at him with concern. It had to be really bad if he was thanking them after the just dismembered him. They just forced a smile, nodded and continued.

"Great. Now that we have this out of the way how about we finally put our plan to motion?" asked James as he pulled out another syringe with some liquid in his hand.

"Okay twerp, we lost a lot of time with the hand removal and we are in a hurry. So, goodnight." said Jessie and she took the syringe and injected it to Ash's neck. And shortly after it, Ash, after six days of torture, he finally fell unconscious. He could finally sleep.

* * *

 **Author's note:**

 **So. Yeah. Ash lost a left hand in this. So I hope you are not too mad about that. In the original version it was much worse.**

 **On the happier note though. The dynamic trio finally appeared. So I hope my versions of them. James struck me always as a guy that is s little submissive. That he can't really take the matters into his own hands. And Jessie always seemed like the bossy one. And the fact that she went to med school wasn't pulled out of thin air. It is actually on Bulbapedia that in anime she went there. So I hope that at least makes some sense. And Meowth. He always seemed like the smartest of them so I hope I did all of them justice.**

 **On that note though. Do you want Jessie and James paired up? It was some time since I got you a pole to vote on so I think it's time for another one. Jessie and James. Yes and No. You can vote on my profile again. It's up to you.**

 **And it seems like there will be lemons. You want it and there wasn't a single person who said no. So who am I to deny you that.**

 **That's all from me. Faptime's out.**

 **Ash's Pokemon in The Haven and their moveset:**

 **Pikachu (Male) – Thunder, Quick Attack, Iron Tail, Volt Tackle**

 **Luxray (Female) – Thunder Fang, Crunch, Volt Switch, Wild Charge**

 **Bulbasaur (Male) – Vine Whip, Razor Leaf, Leech Seed, Solar Beam**

 **Meganium (Female) – Grassy Terrain, Magical Leaf, Vine Whip, Petal Dance**

 **Sceptile (Male) – Leaf Storm, Solar Beam, Leaf Blade, Double Team**

 **Torterra (Male) – Leaf Storm, Energy Ball, Rock Climb, Synthesis**

 **Feraligatr (Male) – Ice Fang, Crunch, Slash, Bulldoze**

 **Crawdaunt (Male) – Bubble Beam, Knock Off, Vice Grip, Harden**

 **Kingler (Male) – Water Gun, Metal Claw, Crabhammer, Hyper Beam**

 **Floatzel (Male) - Aqua Jet, Hydro Pump, Sonic Boom, Ice Punch**

 **Milotic (Female) – Aqua Tail, Water Pulse, Scald, Twister,**

 **Torkoal (Male) - Heat Wave, Overheat, Iron Defense. Rock Slide**

 **Typhlosion (Female) – Flamethrower, Eruption, Aerial Ace, Swift**

 **Infernape (Male) – Overheat, Flare Blitz, Mach Punch, Dig**

 **Charizard (Male) – Flamethrower, Dragon Rage, Dragon Tail, Seismic Toss**

 **Noctowl (Male) – Confusion, Sky Attack, Air Slash, Extrasensory**

 **Swellow (Male) – U-Turn, Roost, Aerial Ace, Double Team**

 **Staraptor (Male) – Quick Attack, Wing Attack, Brave Bird, Close Combat**

 **Tauros x30 (Males) – Fissure, Take Down, Horn Attack, Zen Headbutt**

 **Snorlax (Male) – Ice Punch, Rest, Hyper Beam, Body Slam**

 **Donphan (Male) – Rollout, Earthquake, Take Down, Hyper Beam**

 **Gliscor (Male) – X-Scissor, Fire Fang, Giga Impact, Stone Edge**

 **Heracross (Male) – Megahorn, Sleep Talk, Focus Punch, Hyper Beam**

 **Muk (Male) – Sludge Bomb, Body Slam, Mud Bomb, Acid Spray**

 **Toxicroak (Male) – Sludge Wave, Poison Jab, Sucker Punch, Low Sweep**

 **Glalie (Male) – Ice Beam, Shadow Ball, Protect, Crunch**

 **Garchomp (Male) – Dig, Slash, Dragon Rush, Draco Meteor**

 **Sableye (Male) – Shadow Ball, Power Gem, Will-O-Wisp, Detect**

 **Lucario (Male) – Aura Sphere, Blaze Kick, Bone Rush, Force Palm**

 **Metagross (Genderless) - Meteor Mash, Gyro Ball, Psychic, Flash Cannon**

 **Aggron (Male) – Metal Claw, Metal Sound, Iron Head, Thunderbolt**

 **Weavile (Female) – Night Slash, Metal Claw, Hidden Power, Blizzard**

 **Absol (Female) – Night Slash, Razor Wind, Attract, Fire Blast**

 **Tyranitar (Female) – Stone Edge, Earthquake, Dark Pulse, Dragon Claw**

 **Gardevoir (Female) – Teleport, Light Screen, Calm Mind, Heal Pulse**

 **Mewtwo (Male) – Psystrike, Psychic, Dream Eater, Hypnosis**

 **That's it for now.**

 **Reviews are appreciated.**


	18. Back from the dead: Magnets in storm

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Pokemon or any of these characters.**

 **Author's note: Another chapter here. I expected more backlash for what I did to Ash, but most of you like it nonetheless. So that's a win for me.**

 **A lot of you are concerned if Ash will get his hand back or some prosthetic. Well, I can't tell yet for obvious reasons, but I will tell you that his hand will be a big topic for the future chapters.**

 **SHOUT-OUT TO LAVO. I AM GRATEFUL THAT HE TOOK HIS TIME WITH THIS CHAPTER AGAIN AND RAN THROUGH IT. THANK YOU!**

"classic conversation"

 _"thoughts/telepathy"_

 **That is all for now. Enjoy.**

* * *

 **XIV. Back from the dead: Magnets in storm**

"What the fuck is this?!" asked a man dressed in a long-sleeved black shirt, with equally as black trousers. Red letter R was the only stark contrast in color from the rest of his outfit.

The man was looking at another corpse that was being thrown out. But rather this one looked like somebody kept the bloody corpse and then just tortured it for few more days.

"Domino is a sick son of a bitch." muttered the second guy, dressed in the same manner as his colleague. The only difference between them was the color of hair. They might not be saints, but what they saw here was a stone throw away from what they've done. This is just putrid and inhumane.

"Just check his heartbeat and let us through. I can't stand looking at him any longer." said the only female in the hall. The red-haired nurse had two companions with her. A doctor with blue hair and an obedient Meowth, who was following the medical duo.

And so the two man did what was asked of them. The first one placed his head on the chest of the corpse, even though he wasn't exactly thrilled about it. The second one found the artery on the neck and with his finger he checked if there was any sign of a heartbeat.

To no one's surprise, there was none. Pretty pointless job when you have a guy like this in front of you.

"Get him out of here." said the first man. The man then covered the corpse with the blanket so he would not have to look at him any longer. The second guy then took the keys and opened the door.

"Make sure that no one finds the body." said the second guy. And he let the trio with the corpse past them.

* * *

"Dammit! We forgots about da storm!" exclaimed Meowth.

The dynamic trio was now at the exit from the Team Rocket HQ is. When they looked outside they saw raindrops falling down from the night sky. And not lightly. The rain was heavy. Thick. And non-stopping. If it weren't for the full moon, they wouldn't be able to see where they were going. The wind was even worse. In the forest ahead, they could see several fallen trees. Leaves and branches were flying like feathers in these conditions. And every few minutes a large lightning bolt hit the ground with a loud clap of thunder following behind. There wasn't any road to this place so the terrain was muddy. With small pools of water everywhere you look.

"There is no way we are going to be able to push this far in these conditions." said James and he pointed at the hospital bed on which the twerp was lying.

"We have ta leave da hospital bed here. James. Wrap da twerp's arm around yer shoulder and Jessie will do da same with da second one. We have ta carry him ourselves." said Meowth.

"Right, let humans do the heavy lifting." said Jessie sarcastically. Sometimes she envied him that he could just get away with not doing the heavy work.

"Hey! You know dat Im too small ta carry him. And besides, da twerp needs both of you to at least drag him out of dis place. Especially in dis crazy weather." said Meowth.

"Guys? Can we cut the squabble and hurry up?" said James nervously, who looked back at the cave behind them.

"Fine." said displeased Jessie.

Then both Jessie and James wrapped twerp's arm around their shoulders. He was far heavier than they thought. This is going to be a suicide mission.

"Ready?" asked Meowth to the both of them.

And with a slight nod, Jessie and James walked into the storm, with Ash's arms wrapped around their shoulders.

It took time, but they finally found a road in this bloody storm. By now, both of them were really tired. The twerp was a big muscular guy now, so that didn't help their cause either. Jessie and James's feet were soaked, sore and were ready to give up at any moment.

The road was made of dirt. 'Was' being the key word here. The rain destroyed the road completely. Now it was a giant muddy field with pools of water everywhere, which were still expanding from the rain that was mercilessly pouring down onto the Team Rocket trio.

Jessie and James even let out Seviper and Carnivine to help them, but both Pokemon didn't last very long in these harsh conditions. Now it was just on them. And they did not have the energy to push on forward

Meowth, who was in front of his other companions felt slight change around him. He couldn't tell what it was, but something was different. Something was happening. And when he turned around, he saw what it was.

"Is dat normal? Have we ever seen him shine before?!" exclaimed a surprised Meowth.

The twerp's abdomen was glowing slightly. It was barely visible, but in the dead of the night, there was no mistake in it.

"What are you talking about?" asked tired James.

Meowth pointed at Ash. Both Jessie and James looked in that direction and both saw what Meowth was talking about. Meowth wasn't just seeing things. He really was shining slightly.

But then a branch from a tree was thrust into James's leg thanks to the strong winds raging around them. James fell to the muddy, ground beneath him. Unfortunately, he took Ash and Jessie with him because Jessie was too tired to be able to hold Ash alone.

Tired, soaked and muddy, James and Jessie both slowly pulled themselves up. They looked at each other, nodded and with tired eyes and both of them knelt down and picked Ash back up again. As they picked him back up again, they looked at his abdomen. And it was still shining in a blue light. The duo in the group were too tired to think about it so they resumed their slow walk and followed the path.

But with each step they took, the light on Ash was becoming more and more apparent. The trio was surprised by this. If this wasn't a hallucination, then the only explanation they have for this is that it has to be connected to the destination where they are taking Ash. They knew that in this weather, carrying him to some large town with a hospital is impossible. Before they would reach it, Team Rocket would find them. So they decided to take Ash to the nearest town they could.

They eventually reached their destination. In the middle of the night, the town's welcome sign was within sight. The only reason for that was because of the peculiar blue light, which by the way, was once so small that even in the dead of night you couldn't see it clearly. But now, now it was even useful. It got brighter and brighter. Eventually it became so prominent that they could actually see where they were going with more clarity. Whatever this light was, the Twerp will have a lot of explaining to do when the trio decided to meet up with him again.

You see, the trio decided to disappear as soon as they reached their destination. If they were to say the truth about his injuries, they would be prosecuted, because they are still employed for Team Rocket. Prison time regardless, even if they didn't hurt anybody. And even before, they liked to live freely and dangerously. Hiding from the police could bring some excitement back into their lives again since they won't be going after the twerp again.

As they neared the welcome sign at the edge of town, another loud clap of thunder was heard and Meowth suddenly remembered something.

"We can't give da twerp ta her." said the soaked Meowth.

"Why not?" asked tired and soaked Jessie. She wanted to shout and scream at Meowth. They planned to give the twerp to the one person they knew would take care of him the best. And now Meowth is just throwing the idea out of the window. If she had the energy she would hit him on the head. So with a little energy left, she, James and the twerp leaned against the sign of a town they are about to enter.

Pallet Town

They began to discuss things with Meowth in the middle of a great storm. The discussion had to be brief though, the rain and winds are merciless and the trio needed to take a rest. They carried the twerp for nearly 3 hours straight through this ridiculous weather.

"Think about what he said. He said ta us dat no one can know he is alive. She would recognize him immediately."said Meowth.

"He is completely different from the way she remembers him." said James with half closed eyes. And as the rain and winds were smacking his face he took a deep breath and continued. "He will be fine."

"Actually, you have a point Meowth." said Jessie who was in the worst state of the three. Mud in her hair, soaked through and through, cold and shivering she replied to Meowth. With what little energy she had. "You can change your appearance however you want. But, your mother always knows. Especially a loving mother like her."

"Then...what now?" asked James as another thunder hit the ground.

"I have an idea."said Meowth.

* * *

 _"Just when I think that it's gone, it appears again."_ thought Cynthia.

The blue light was shining again, but this time it refused to disappear. It was similar to her hand from a few hours ago, but even that eventually stopped glowing. This, however, has been shining for three hours straight and instead of disappearing, it got even brighter. Which was increasingly more frustrating on the account that it made it very hard to sleep with something like this. She wanted to call Charles and talk to him but that wasn't an option. THIS freak storm that's been hitting her area for the last week had disabled all communications.

On the flip side, it was pretty useful to have your abdomen glowing like a light stick when electricity was down in Pallet Town. She moved to the residence that was built on the top of the hill overlooking Pallet Town a few days ago. And since it was finished not so long ago, she still had to equip the rooms with candles. Barbaric, but she couldn't very well use others means of lighting. She had about 10 candles scattered across the different rooms she would need access to. It wasn't enough to cover the whole residence, but that was okay. She didn't have enough candles on hand either way.

Cynthia herself was lying on a red couch in her living room and with an orange candle on the glass table beside the couch. She was thinking about the whole Aura thing and how she could possibly be connected to it. She read the book Caitlin gave her and she knew some stuff off hand about it. It was 100% certain that she wasn't an Aura Guardian like in the books. You absolutely had to be a man. She didn't fit the prerequisites. But that made it even more puzzling. The power of Aura is strong and ancient. Not to be messed with. It usually ended in tragedy if someone who wasn't gifted, tried messing with it. Seems like roles are reversed this time around. It seems like the Aura is messing with her personally. Like it's laughing at her confusion. As though it knows something she doesn't.

More importantly. Aura Guardians aren't something you come across easily. With Ash gone and for lack of a better term, they are extinct. If Ash were alive, they would have something to work with. But he isn't, and besides, she fell for him not the other way around. If he did...that would explain the Curse Mark…..

 _"No. No. Do NOT dwell on it. You're just gonna make yourself more miserable."_ Cynthia scolded herself. Thinking about Ash just brings back the memory of the day they lost him.

Shaking off those thoughts she set her thoughts straight again. So. What could it be? Is the power of Aura awakening again? Then why would it be her? Is she going to be the new Aura Guardian because they went extinct? Was she chosen by some higher power to do what Ash was supposed to be doing?

When she looked at her stomach. It was still glowing. Brighter and brighter with each second that passed. It's a shame that there was no more information about Aura stuff. It peeked her interest. Cynthia grew restless and she quickly sat up and looked at the burning orange candle in front of her.

 _"It would be kinda romantic to have someone here with me now."_ thought Cynthia. With one hand on her knee and the other supporting her chin, she looked around. Orange light washed over, illuminating the room quite nicely. It was calming, yet beautiful. When she thought about it, she should probably find someone. Everyone was pushing her towards that. And maybe if she found the right person that would work. But right now, all the guys that had taken an interest in her only want her because of fame or fortune. To date a women like her would mean spotlight after spotlight of glitz and glamour. They wouldn't want her because they genuinely want her. These guys want to be famous, and they want to be known as being someone who spent a night with the Ice Queen.

She's eighteen now and she isn't super worried about finding someone. She's still young and she has her whole life ahead to find someone. And she wants to find someone genuine. Someone that wants Cynthia Shirona and not the Champion of Kanto.

She stood up and went towards to kitchen to possibly find some kind of tea to ease herself. It was late, she should get some sleep. She could still hear the wind knocking against the house….wait, knocking? No. That was someone actually knocking on her front door.

 _"Who would come to my house in this hour? It's past midnight!"_ she thought.

She started to go towards the door but realized she was only in a BabyDoll négligée. It wasn't presentable. She ran up to her room and grabbed her blue robe to cover up. She started to go toward the door and she could hear footsteps walking away. She opened up the door to scold whoever was trying to mess with her and as she did another loud thunder hit the ground. Cynthia jumped in surprise and then looked down to the opened door revealing a sight she was not prepared for. On her terrace floor lied a man. And not just an ordinary man, a naked one. Just laying on his stomach with so many cuts and burn marks on his back that it would throw everybody off-guard. Blood and mud were mixed on his pale skin and his wet, long, coal black hair was covering some parts of his back.

Cynthia shivered at the sight in front of her. He looked like he had been caught in the middle of a brutal fight between several Pokemon at once. A million thoughts ran through her head. But the most prominent was. Why would someone drop a dead body at her doorstep?

She nervously looked around if there were any sign of what happened. And she did find something. To the man's left, there was something carved in her terrace floor. She came closer and let the light from her abdomen, which was stronger by each second, illuminate the carving. 'Please. Save him.' it read.

 _"He is still alive?!"_ she thought.

She looked again at the man at her feet and the carving. Someone dragged him here and carved that. He couldn't have done that by himself, not in this state. But who would be crazy enough to go into this storm and drag him here? Another thunder, louder than the one before, broke her from her train of thoughts

She still didn't believe that someone in this state could be alive. So she went to check him. She placed two fingers under on his neck and waited. After a solid second a pulse came through his artery. Her eyes widened when she realized that he indeed was alive. She looked at the storm from her shielded terrace. How did he get this way?

Questions for another day. Guess she had no choice. She was about to drag him in by his left hand, but she noticed it was missing and it was bandaged.

"What happened to you?" Cynthia asked the unconscious man with concern.

Cynthia grabbed the man by the armpits and she pulled him inside. He was heavy. But what surprised Cynthia even more was the fact that he was shining too. His abdomen was shining exactly like hers. Her eyes widened upon the sudden realization. " _That's Aura!"_ she thought and she accidentally dropped him upon the realization. But when she touched him, she triggered something. The aura that was shining brightly before, was now disappearing slowly.

After that discovery, she grabbed him by the armpits again and finally dragged him inside. She closed the door behind and looked back at the stranger that appeared at her doorstep. Now he was lying on his back with his abdomen not shining anymore. Not even hers for that matter.

And it was far worse sight than his back. Much more cuts and burn marks were seen. Slashes and bullets from guns were much easier to see now. His face was not left out and there was a slash across his right eye. Strangers whole body was covered in dried blood and mud. He was making a pretty big mess, but now she couldn't care less. There lies a living man that should be long gone and shes his only chance of survival.

* * *

 _"Arceus, What is this guy made of?"_ she thought as she released another groan " _Are you part Snorlax?"_ she put all the strength into pulling him into the bathroom.

It took a lot of effort but Cynthia managed to drag the muscular body of the stranger to her bathroom. Lying there at her feet she noticed the sponge sitting next to the stool. She turned on the bath with some warm water. It was freezing outside, she didn't want to give him hypothermia on top of everything else he probably had.

She tried to use the sponge and remove whatever grime and dirt was covered all over his body before she dumped him into the bath. " _Well, I'll try at least"_ thought Cynthia. Despite his size, he was exceptionally heavy. She was strong, but not so strong that she could drag his body for too long. She started with his head and the slash across his left eye. As she got closer, she started to notice the different wounds across his body. There was the one around his neck that had to be some kind of burn mark with small bolts of lightning around. And as she was getting lower there were more and more slashes, and even already healed slashes and burn marks in form of scars. The most prominent on his left breast. That was the biggest burn mark she encountered on his body yet. She wondered what caused that one.

When she touched his torso, it felt like it had been tailored with the strings of steel and not flesh. So stiff and hardened. Like an armour of skin. And as she was trying to get rid of the chunks of mud and sometimes even blood, she encountered a region of a man's body she had yet to see with her very own eyes in real life from up close.

 _"There is no way something big like this can fit into a woman."_ was her first thought when she saw the prized possession that this man hide between his legs. She is a stranger to the arts of lovemaking, but Cynthia already saw her fair share of adult films. But what this guy has there is just... enormous. Even by the standards of movies for adults.

She shook those thoughts off quickly. Now onto the uncomfortable part. Let this part of washing him be done quickly. Washing the private parts of a man that is naked, unconscious, muddy and bloody was not something Cynthia imagined doing. Ever. There is truly a first time for everything.

 _"Not now. Don't wake up now. Out of all of the moments you can wake up, just don't wake up now."_ Cynthia was telling herself over and over again as she was cleaning his private areas. She heard a groan and it made her jump inside her own skin. Fortunately for her, it passed.

And after this uncomfortable encounter, Cynthia moved to his legs and hands to clean. And just like his chest, his muscles in arms and legs were hard and stiff. After it was finally done, the floor in the bathroom was dirty from all the things she cleaned. By now the bathtub was full. But then another question arose.

 _"Whats with his hand?"_ she thought. Should she remove the bandage and clean the hand in the steaming bathtub too? Probably not. She will have to remove the bandage, clean the mess inside herself and give him a new bandage. At least that was the plan. With communications still down, there was no way she could call someone for help. A walk to Professor Oak or Delia in this weather was not advisable since Cynthia lives at the edge of the Pallet Town.

 _"Okay. Now to get you into the bathtub."_ thought Cynthia.

Cynthia realized that she can't just pick him up and throw him in there unless she suddenly became a Machamp. So she figured she'd ask for some help. She quickly ran to her bedroom, picked a pokeball from her stool and ran back to the bathroom and opened her pokeball. After the white light materialized, it revealed a Lucario standing in front of Cynthia.

Lucario, who appeared, had a tired look on her face. She looked at Cynthia with a half opened eyes not knowing what made Cynthia call her in the middle of her sleep. Then this Lucario felt something. Something that she never felt. The Aura in this room was off the charts. Soon the female Lucario found out what was the cause of this.

"Lucario. I need your help to get this guy into the bathtub." Cynthia said in her lovely voice and she pointed at the guy on the ground.

And immediately Lucario felt the Aura radiating from this man. So much of an Aura energy was stacked up in him it was unreal. Lucario zoned out for a moment as she was still baffled by that man.

"Lucario!" Cynthia raised her voice which finally brought the attention of the Aura Pokemon.

It took some teamwork to get the tall man into the bathtub, but they eventually managed. Lucario even caught the arm that was missing a hand from falling into the water. Cynthia then asked Lucario to clean the floor here form the dirt and blood and she happily obligated.

Now that the guy was in the bathtub with only his head and one arm sticking out, she spun-dried the sponge she used to get rid of the mud and began to clean him in the water.

 _"Come on Cynthia! He needs your help and not ogling. Don't be a pervert and FOCUS, Cynthia. FOCUS!"_ Cynthia thought when she took another glance at the member between his legs. However, not even a minute after, she couldn't help herself and she took a glance again.

"AAAAAARGGGHH!" Cynthia shouted and a little painfully grabbed her own hair in frustration. Okay, I have to do it differently, she thought. She then grabbed some soap and pour it into the water so it would create bubbles and she would not be distracted.

Lucario jumped a little as she was cleaning the floor when Cynthia shouted out of nowhere. She was watching Cynthia until she emptied a nearly full bottle of a new soap into the water.

"That should do it!" Cynthia said to no one in particular with a satisfied smile on her face and crossed hands below her chest.

When she took care of the distraction, other things bugged her mind. Thousands of thoughts were running through her head again. Who is this guy? Where is he from? How old is he? Who brought him here? But the most important question she was asking herself over and over again was – What happened to him?

She spent a good half hour just washing the stranger in her bathtub. She was checking if his heart is still beating from time to time. And to her surprise, it was getting into the right rhythm even without the assistance of professional doctors.

The most time she spent cleaning his hair. Arceus, they were nearly as long as her. But hers don't have blood and mud all over them. Cleaning his hair and beard were primary concerns when washing him. Now that he was clean, it was time to get him to her bed, since she still didn't equip the guest rooms.

But she should probably dress him into something. And that is a little problematic. The guy in front of her is a very tall man. And their figures are really different. Compared to him, Cynthia looks like a curvy toothpick. His arms are at least twice the size of hers and that goes for legs too. If she would try to give him some of her trousers or shirts, they would tatter. She needs something loose. Something like she is wearing right now. A bathrobe. However. She has only one.

"Couldn't you come when I would have more things in here?" asked Cynthia sadly to the unconscious man.

She pulled the plug in the bathtub out and let the water flow away. When the water was running from the bathtub, she gave out a sigh and took off her bathrobe leaving her in her black underwear and a thin black gown again.

"Lucario. I need your help to dress him into this and get him into my bed." said Cynthia to her Pokemon, which in her head sounded much more innocently than it sounded like when she said it out loud. When she turned around, however, Lucario already cleaned the floor and was looking at her cautiously. Or him. It looked like her Pokemon was eyeing the man much more than Cynthia herself.

With the combined strength of Lucario and Cynthia, the two of them managed to wrap the stranger into her bathrobe. It looked a little weird when the bathrobe wrapped around his arms tightly and it was loose around the chest area, but it will do.

Eventually, both human and Pokemon managed to drag the newly dressed man in a light blue bathrobe into Cynthia's double bed.

* * *

 _"I have never thought that the sewing I am learning from Delia will be used for this"_ thought Cynthia.

Another thing Delia was eager to teach her. However, sewing a man was something she was not ready for. She barely can sow some slash on the clothes. Now she has to sew some of the wounds on an unconscious man.

At least he's stable. His breathing and his heart was beating at a steady rate. It caught her off guard how fast he was healing, but she would not complain. At least he will live.

And so she began sewing the larger wounds that she could sew. It was a tedious job with several mistakes, but she managed to patch some of his wounds. It took her half an hour to do it and it didn't look very good, but it will have to be enough. Arceus, she wished she was as skilled in sewing as Delia is. Delia can not only sew two things together perfectly, but she can make whole outfits. Delia even made her a fine sleeveless grey dress that no fashion designer would be ashamed of. Meanwhile her, she sloppily patched some cuts on a man. Yeah, it is different from sewing clothes, but still. Delia's sewing skills would be useful now. Hopefully, Cynthia didn't make things worse by trying to stitch some wounds.

" _Okay. Now to the easier stuff_." she said to herself and looked at the bandaged end of the arm, where the hand was missing. _"But much scarier."_

Even though changing a bandage is easy, this is the thing she looks least to. Just looking at the man's scarred and the damaged body was nearly enough to turn her stomach upside down. But Cynthia is terrified of what she will find at the end of the bandage. It's not every day you have to change the bandage of a missing hand.

"Okay. Deep breaths, Cynthia. Deep breaths. You can do it. Just. Quickly change the bandage and it will be over." said Cynthia.

She then placed a towel under stranger's hand and was preparing to remove the bandage. She then extended her hand for a sponge to clean his hand under the bandage, but there was nothing. "Damn I forgot the sponge in the bathroom." thought Cynthia as she realized a little misstep. Just a little mistake out of stress. Nothing to dwell on. So she nervously got up and made a small trip back to the bathroom and took the wet sponge to her bedroom.

Cynthia carefully removed the old muddy and bloody bandage on his hand threw it on the floor. She wasn't surprised when a blood started running out of the hand. That towel was a good idea. It was not a pleasant sight, but after she saw his whole body, she expected it much worse. The cut was pretty clean. To not watch the missing hand further she grabbed the sponge and cleaned the place where the bandage was placed. It was a little rushed because she was afraid of how much blood he was loosing from his forearm. She then quickly picked the new bandage on the stool and wrapped the place where the hand was severed.

 _"That could have been worse."_ thought Cynthia. It was done. He is clean, somehow patched up and his bandage is replaced. Next half an hour Cynthia was covering his wounds with sticking plasters. At least the big wounds. She doesn't have enough for every wound on his body. Cynthia took everything that was left of the medical supplies, get it back into the first aid kit and left the room.

As Cynthia was returning back her first aid kit into the bathroom, she was deep in thoughts about this man. Cynthia did what she could. Now it was just up to him to wake up. What will she say to him when he wakes up? Does he remember what happened to him? And what was that about Aura? He has the same problem as she did. Does he shine as much as her?

Not only that but when she was taking care of him, something in her heart stirred. It was weird and she didn't pay much attention to it. But the feeling was getting stronger and stronger with each second she was taking care of him. That was another concern of hers.

So many questions yet so little answers. With so many thoughts, she got to her red couch in the living room and lied down there. Sleep didn't come easy before he appeared at her doorstep, and she doubts that now it will be any better now. And she was right. It took a few hours before tiredness won and she fell asleep as the heavy rain was still beating windows of her residence.

However, the sleep didn't last long. A deep roar echoed through Cynthia's residence, waking up the blonde beauty. She jumped out of the couch when hearing the scream and with tired her grey eye looked around.

"CUT THE HAND OFF!" she heard. It was a loud yell coming from her bedroom.

Cynthia quickly jumped out of her couch and ran to her bedroom to see what is going on with her guest. When she was preparing to open the door and ran into the bedroom, another desperate yell was heard.

"CUT IT OFF!"

Cynthia stormed into her bedroom and saw the man thrashing on her bed. The sheet that was covering him was on the ground and he lied there, twisting and moving uncontrollably. The man was covered in sweat, a dozen drops of sweat were running down his red face. Not even his hair escaped the sweating body of the man and his breaths were uneven, harsh and quick.

"PLEASE!" was another word that escaped his mouth.

With a concerned face, Cynthia was helplessly watching as the man was rolling on her bed in pain.

„DO IT! KILL ME! KILL ME! KILL ME!" another desperate scream.

With her heart racing, and a concerned face she spontaneously grabbed the man by his broad shoulders and start shaking him to wake up. He didn't. However, as soon as she touched his shoulders, his breaths calm down. He stopped thrashing with himself and he visibly relaxed.

But when she let the man go, his breath quickened and his hand began twitching. He was about to go into the nightmare again. So again, Cynthia grabbed him by the shoulders. And he relaxed again. And this time she let her hand rest there. She got a little idea.

 _"Will it really help?"_ she thought. And so, she waited. 10 seconds. 30 seconds. Minute. 3 minutes. And he was still relaxed. But as soon as she tried to take her hand away from him, the nightmare was visibly coming to him again. It really does help. Her touch somehow calms him down. Whatever was happening, she has to stay here with him for his own sake. And so she stayed. Sitting on the top side of the bed, near strangers head, she let her hand rest on his exposed shoulder.

Cut it off. Please. Do it. Kill me. Those were the words he was screaming. It wasn't clear then, but now it is. He was tortured.

To her own surprise, touching his shoulder had an effect on her too. After this day she felt stressed, nervous and anxious. Even scared when he showed at her doorstep. But the longer she is leaving her hand to rest on his shoulder, the better she is feeling. And not long after she stormed into her bedroom, his calming effect reached its peak, and she has fallen asleep there too with her head leaning against the top of the bed and hand on his shoulder.

* * *

Fear. That's what Domino was feeling. She should have killed him sooner. She shouldn't play with him. Now the only thing that can stop Team Rocket is out there. Somewhere in the biggest storm in 2 decades. She didn't even start an investigation yet. She has to tell Giovanni first. He will be furious.

Why? Why was she toying with the one person that could destroy their plan? She could have waited for another one. Normal one. But no. She saw the opportunity for the best plaything and took it. Bad decision. She should control her thirst for torture more. It gets her pointlessly into problems. The worst thing is, Giovanni even warned her to not to anger the Guardian too much. How could he escape?!

All of that didn't matter. She was now at the door to Giovanni's office. She gulped in fear and slowly opened the door revealing Giovanni typing something to a keyboard with his Persian obediently next to his feet.

"Domino. Anything to report?" asked Giovanni in his neutral tone and stopped typing on the keyboard and instead start petting his Persian.

"Yes, sir." Domino answered with a shaky voice.

"What happened?" asked Giovanni with a raised voice when he registered the tremble in Domino's voice.

"I.. I am so sorry, sir." said a terrified Domino and went to one knee an knelt before Giovanni.

"Domino?" asked a little irritated Giovanni. He, no doubt, suspected something.

"He's gone."she said.

A hit on the table was heard as soon as she said it. A pretty loud hit. Giovanni then got up from his chair and went to Domino.

"HOW COULD YOU LET IT HAPPEN?! YOU HAD ONE JOB! ONE! TO MAKE SURE HE DIES! AND YOU COULDN'T EVEN COMPLETE THAT!" yelled Giovanni at Domino.

"I am sorry, sir." she apologized again fearing for her dear life.

"I DON'T WANT YOUR APOLOGIES! I WANT HIM! I WANT HIS HEAD! HOW DID IT HAPPEN?!" yelled Giovanni again.

"I don't know. A... As soon as I found out I came straight to you,... sir" she said kneeling and looking at the ground afraid to look at her boss.

"YOU ARE LUCKY THAT YOU ARE MY RIGHT HAND BECAUSE ANYONE ELSE WOULD BE WEARING THE IRON HELMET FOR THIS!" yelled Giovanni again.

"I express my eternal gratitude for sparing me, sir. I will do anything to make up for my mistakes. What do you want, sir." said Domino quietly.

"DIDN'T I MAKE MYSELF CLEAR?! I WANT HIS HEAD! GO OUT AND FIND HIM! HE CAN'T BE FAR WITH THIS WEATHER OUTSIDE!" yelled Giovanni.

"How many hunters and scouts can I take with me?" asked Domino still trembling in fear. One wrong move and Giovanni will make sure she will get the same treatment as the experiments did.

"EVERY SINGLE ONE! NOW OUT OF MY EYES OR YOU WILL WEAR THE HELMET IN A FEW MINUTES!" yelled Giovanni and he went back to his computer to look into the security cameras to find out how did the Aura Guardian escaped. Domino, on the other hand, obediently left the room and with every hunter and tracker in HQ, they went into the storm looking for the Aura Guardian.

* * *

 **Author's note: Kinda filler-y chapter, but I hope you will enjoy it nonetheless. When I read fics where someone is in a really bad shape, they always skip through the healing process. It always starts with the injured person waking up. So I tried to describe how the healing process can look like.**

 **And yeah. Ash and Cynthia finally met. It took 13 chapters but here they are. Next chapter Ash will wake up from his long sleep and more things will happen. So I hope you are looking forward to that.**

 **That's all from me. Faptime's out.**

 **Ash's Pokemon in The Haven and their moveset:**

 **Pikachu (Male) – Thunder, Quick Attack, Iron Tail, Volt Tackle**

 **Luxray (Female) – Thunder Fang, Crunch, Volt Switch, Wild Charge**

 **Bulbasaur (Male) – Vine Whip, Razor Leaf, Leech Seed, Solar Beam**

 **Meganium (Female) – Grassy Terrain, Magical Leaf, Vine Whip, Petal Dance**

 **Sceptile (Male) – Leaf Storm, Solar Beam, Leaf Blade, Double Team**

 **Torterra (Male) – Leaf Storm, Energy Ball, Rock Climb, Synthesis**

 **Feraligatr (Male) – Ice Fang, Crunch, Slash, Bulldoze**

 **Crawdaunt (Male) – Bubble Beam, Knock Off, Vice Grip, Harden**

 **Kingler (Male) – Water Gun, Metal Claw, Crabhammer, Hyper Beam**

 **Floatzel (Male) - Aqua Jet, Hydro Pump, Sonic Boom, Ice Punch**

 **Milotic (Female) – Aqua Tail, Water Pulse, Scald, Twister,**

 **Torkoal (Male) - Heat Wave, Overheat, Iron Defense. Rock Slide**

 **Typhlosion (Female) – Flamethrower, Eruption, Aerial Ace, Swift**

 **Infernape (Male) – Overheat, Flare Blitz, Mach Punch, Dig**

 **Charizard (Male) – Flamethrower, Dragon Rage, Dragon Tail, Seismic Toss**

 **Noctowl (Male) – Confusion, Sky Attack, Air Slash, Extrasensory**

 **Swellow (Male) – U-Turn, Roost, Aerial Ace, Double Team**

 **Staraptor (Male) – Quick Attack, Wing Attack, Brave Bird, Close Combat**

 **Tauros x30 (Males) – Fissure, Take Down, Horn Attack, Zen Headbutt**

 **Snorlax (Male) – Ice Punch, Rest, Hyper Beam, Body Slam**

 **Donphan (Male) – Rollout, Earthquake, Take Down, Hyper Beam**

 **Gliscor (Male) – X-Scissor, Fire Fang, Giga Impact, Stone Edge**

 **Heracross (Male) – Megahorn, Sleep Talk, Focus Punch, Hyper Beam**

 **Muk (Male) – Sludge Bomb, Body Slam, Mud Bomb, Acid Spray**

 **Toxicroak (Male) – Sludge Wave, Poison Jab, Sucker Punch, Low Sweep**

 **Glalie (Male) – Ice Beam, Shadow Ball, Protect, Crunch**

 **Garchomp (Male) – Dig, Slash, Dragon Rush, Draco Meteor**

 **Sableye (Male) – Shadow Ball, Power Gem, Will-O-Wisp, Detect**

 **Lucario (Male) – Aura Sphere, Blaze Kick, Bone Rush, Force Palm**

 **Metagross (Genderless) - Meteor Mash, Gyro Ball, Psychic, Flash Cannon**

 **Aggron (Male) – Metal Claw, Metal Sound, Iron Head, Thunderbolt**

 **Weavile (Female) – Night Slash, Metal Claw, Hidden Power, Blizzard**

 **Absol (Female) – Night Slash, Razor Wind, Attract, Fire Blast**

 **Tyranitar (Female) – Stone Edge, Earthquake, Dark Pulse, Dragon Claw**

 **Gardevoir (Female) – Teleport, Light Screen, Calm Mind, Heal Pulse**

 **Mewtwo (Male) – Psystrike, Psychic, Dream Eater, Hypnosis**

 **That's it for now.**

 **Reviews are appreciated.**


	19. Back from the dead: Lives collide

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Pokemon or any of these characters.**

 **Author's note: Another chapter here! I don't have many things to say to the previous chapter, but I am glad the most of you liked it. And thanks to all those people who are reviewing the story. So without any further distraction, let's see how Ash's wake up will turn out.**

 **EDIT: I am an idiot. I posted the wrong version of this chapter. This is the one that was supposed to be posted. So if you were one of the first ones to read the chapter, then you will register some changes in this chapter that were made. This is the version that was beta-read.**

 **SHOUT-OUT TO LAVO. I AM GRATEFUL THAT HE TOOK HIS TIME WITH THIS CHAPTER AGAIN AND RAN THROUGH IT. THANK YOU!**

"classic conversation"

 _"thoughts/telepathy"_

 **That is all for now. Enjoy.**

 **XV. Back from the dead: Lives collide**

Ash could feel his consciousness ebbing and waning. It took all his effort to realize that he was waking up from sleep. His eyelids heavy with tiredness. He could feel something soft next to him, a blanket? No. Possibly a pillow. It was definitely warm enough if he had been laying next to it long enough. " _Where am I?"_ He thought to himself. " _Did I die?"_

" _Am I on a bed?"_ Ash thought to himself. All he could remember was that he wasn't on anything remotely as comfortable the past few days like he was right now. He was so tired and he felt sore all over his body. He couldn't move his limbs properly. His whole body was throbbing in pain. Well, if he's in pain, he's probably still alive. " _Thank Arceus._ " Ash prayed. Although he was in pain, it wasn't anything excruciating like it had been previously. It felt like his wounds were finally healing, almost as though he was given time to heal. _"Am I not being tortured anymore?"_ He tried collecting his thoughts and tried to remember what happened to hi last when it finally hit him! Team Rocket came to him and got him out of there! The fact that he is lying on something soft is definitely a good sign. It points to the fact that they succeeded and escaped.

As his mind was slowly getting into motion, he realized that not his whole body felt sore. There was a pleasant feeling against his right shoulder. The pain was non-existent there. And it felt like a hand. And the hand was just as soft as the mattress he was lying on. If not more. It felt really great.

Now that his senses were sharpening more and more, he could feel that he was wrapped in something. Team Rocket trio got him clothes. That's nice of them. But whose hand is against his shoulder? The hand feels really soft, delicate and feminine. First to mind came Jessie. But, then again, James's hands are feminine too. Could be either of them.

With the small amount of energy he could muster, Ash managed to turn his head to the right. His eyes were still struggling to open but he managed. At first, he was overwhelmed even by the small light in the room, but his senses got used to it after a couple of blinks.

After he finally managed to put his eyes into action, he saw... a thigh? It looked like it at least. The window behind that didn't let any light inside the room so he couldn't be sure and the only source of light here was some controlled fire it looks like. But the thing in front of his face looks like a thigh. And it was just a few millimeters from his nose. He could see a glimpse of a skirt of a black nightgown that the person was wearing too.

 _"Is this one of my weird dreams again?"_ thought Ash.

To find out, Ash finally started doing some movement with his limbs. It took a lot of effort but he managed to lift both of his arms slightly and tried to sit up. But when he tried to support himself with the left hand, nothing happened and he lost his balance. His right hand alone couldn't support him in this state, so he fell down, and this time on the thigh of the woman next to him.

The woman let out a slight moan when he fell there, but she didn't wake up. At least it didn't seem like it. He still doesn't know who it is since he is looking at her legs, but it is most likely Jessie. But, why would she sleep in a nightgown right next to him?

 _"Maybe she is guarding me?"_ thought Ash. They are on the run so it would make sense they would be on guard when they go to sleep. Ash then tried to get up again with his left hand, but he felt nothing there. He couldn't grab anything. It's nothing there.

 _"Of course... Forgot about that…"_ thought Ash when he remembered what happened to him in the torture room.

 _"It was for the best."_ Ash tried to reassure himself.

Now with the knowledge that his left hand is missing, he slowly pulled his own sore body up and sat down next to Jessie whos hand fell off his shoulder. Only. _"THAT is NOT Jessie."_ thought Ash when he looked at the woman sitting/lying next to him with her head against the top of the bed.

She changed during those 3 years. Last time he saw her she was the gorgeous fifteen-year-old girl who he offered a small favor. But right now. He couldn't describe her beauty with words. Those beautiful, smooth, golden locks which were hiding her ears were reaching her calves were all over the double sized bed, mixing with his own coal black long hair.

 _"The hair still suits her, but I should really shave."_ thought Ash when comparing their entangled hair on the bed.

Even in her sleep, her sun-kissed hair was still covering one of her eyes. The other one was still closed behind those long doe-like eyelashes. And when he looked at her small cute nose, the nose even twitched a little like she smelled something to which Ash chuckled slightly.

 _"It's like she is trying to be cute even in her sleep_." thought Ash when he was looking at his friend. _"Not a friend anymore. Remember, Ash. You are dead to her."_ thought Ash. But is he though? Did Team Rocket trio tell her who he is? Does she know he is alive? What exactly happened? He put those thoughts aside and looked back at her. Then he continued to examine her and how she changed over the 3 years. Her thin, yet full, pink lips were parted slightly as she was breathing in her sleep.

 _"She still likes black."_ thought Ash when he looked at her nightgown. And it was a pretty thin nightgown, so he saw right through. But as he was getting ready to see the best parts, he stopped.

"That would be enough said Ash quietly. His voice raspy and it was barely heard what he said and Ash was forced to cough when he finished his sentence, but luckily he suppressed a cough. He is still ashamed that he was watching Cynthia stripping when he was in her mind. This wouldn't help his consciousness any better.

 _"Being an honorable gentleman really sucks sometimes."_ thought Ash. Stupid teachings of Lucario.

Besides. There are a lot of questions he has to why he is here. He looked away from Cynthia and looked around the room. What caught his attention first was the fireplace that was built from some kind of white stone in front of him and the bed. Right above it on the wall was a large TV that was as big as the top of the bed Cynthia was resting her head on.

 _"It's thrice as big as my old bedroom."_ thought Ash about this place.

On the sides of the fireplace were tall plants that resembled smaller palm trees in white flowerpots. Above one of them was a shelf with two pictures. It was pretty far, but his eyes were nearly at full power so he managed to make out the pictures there.

One of them was Cynthia and some older woman holding some kind of a rock. Both Cynthia and the older woman were dressed in what looked like a miner outfit and both of them had a big smile on their faces. Both of them were wearing a yellow helm with a flashlight, and dark blue work trousers covered in a lot of dust. And both of them were standing in a cave with a just small source of light in the top corner which illuminated the image.

"Still digging stuff with grandma huh?" asked smiling Ash quietly the sleeping beauty next to him. His voice still lacking a healthy tone, but it was getting better with each syllable.

He then looked at another picture. There were much more people on this one. They were somewhere outside with a sun shining brightly. In the middle on a long bench was smiling Cynthia holding two balloons in form of numbers 1 and 8 in each hand making a number 18 and she was dressed in a simple turquoise blouse and brown trousers.

 _"Guess you don't like black that much anymore."_ thought Ash.

In front of her was a stool with a big and delicious looking cake with 18 burning candles on top. And around Cynthia were people like professor Oak, Tracey, Gary, Brock and more people he didn't recognize. He would be surprised that he saw so many familiar faces on the photo. But he remembered that Cynthia was in Kanto for some time and that she was there to help his mom to cope with his death. So it wasn't that surprising.

 _"They didn't change that much."_ thought smiling Ash looking at the photo of his friends.

However, two people caught his eye looking at the photo. Both of them were on the side of Cynthia with one arm wrapped around her shoulders. One was a very slim, blue-eyed, woman in a beautiful pink/white dress with her blonde hair wrapped around Cynthia's waist like some sort of hug.

 _"Interesting..."_ thought Ash and then when he looked at the woman's hair hugging Cynthia.

Then there was the second one near Cynthia. Brown haired woman was making a V sign against the photo and had a big smile on her face with her eyes closed. And after those 3 years, she still wore the same thing. Pink shirt with a blue skirt.

"Miss you, mom. Guys." said Ash quietly.

He should get going. It will do no good if he will stay here longer than he should. It will take a while for him to contact Lucario through his Aura, but faster he will leave, fewer questions he will have to answer. And if she knows who he is, Ash is in big problems. He should thank her through something at least. Maybe she has some pen and paper in a living room.

But when he tried to get out of the bed and stand up, his legs betrayed him and he fell right onto his face. Unfortunately for Ash, when a man like him falls down, it tends to create a loud crash. And unlike Ash, Cynthia isn't a heavy sleeper.

 _"Where is he?!"_ Cynthia panicked a little when she woke up and there was no one beside her.

She quickly jumped from her bed and went to look for him. Fortunately for her, he wasn't far. The stranger was now picking himself up from the floor right next to the bed. More like trying to pick himself up from the floor. He was visibly very tired and sore.

"Arceus, what has gotten into you?" asked Cynthia as she tried to pull him up onto the bed.

"You should rest. You are in no condition to walk!" said Cynthia again when she finally managed to seat the man on her bed and she sat right next to him.

"I didn't even get to walking, Cy- m'lady." said the stranger with a chuckle to Cynthia. His voice was dry and tired. And instead of looking at her he tried to avoid her gaze which was really annoying.

The first thing that went through her mind when he began speaking was the voice that she heard at the meeting they had a week ago. Voice only she heard. He has the same voice. She would never mistake that deep strong voice which she heard that day. She was going to ask him about that, but then she stopped when she realized what he said.

"M... m'lady?" asked confused Cynthia.

"Is something wrong with how I am addressing you?" asked the stranger again and how he looked Cynthia into her eyes. Well, eye, since the other one is still covered. Cynthia thought that after she took care of him, there is nothing he could surprise her with. She was so wrong.

How do you get such eyes? They are magical. Longer she was staring at them, more beautiful they were becoming. She could swear that there was slight movement in his irises. Like a blue sea was raging in them and waves were crashing into each other. She had a feeling that this sea is watching every movement of her body as she was looking at them.

"M'lady? Is something wrong?" asked the stranger in his deep voice snapping Cynthia out of her trance.

"No. No. Of course not." said Cynthia nervously as a healthy blush appeared on her cheeks.

"It's just. This phrase isn't used anymore." replied Cynthia after a slight pause.

"You mean 'm'lady' phrase?" asked the stranger to which Cynthia just nodded.

"There is one place where this phrase is still used, m'lady." replied the stranger after a pause.

"Where?" asked Cynthia.

"The Kingdom of Rota." replied the stranger.

"I've heard about that place. Land of knights and queens. Is that where you are from?" asked Cynthia.

"No." was his simple reply.

"And where are you from then?" said Cynthia finally getting to the little interrogation she prepared for the stranger.

"I can't tell you that, m'lady." said the stranger with a sad smile.

"Why?" asked Cynthia.

"Problems would arise if you would know the place where I am from, m'lady." said the man.

"And what about your name?" asked Cynthia.

"Even more problems would arise." replied the stranger.

"Problems like this?" said Cynthia as she pointed at the slash across his right eye.

"Yes." said the man. But this time his composure wasn't calm and collected like before. He shivered when she pointed at the eye. The man then looked at his arm with missing hand and shivered more. His breathing was getting out of his control again.

"What do you say to some breakfast? I am sure you are hungry." said Cynthia trying to interrupt those bad memories getting into his head. She should keep the questions to a minimum. Whatever he went through, he is not ready to talk about.

"I would very much appreciate it. With what can I help?" asked the stranger.

"Oh nononono. You are staying here. Lie down and let me take care of you. " said Cynthia in a loving yet stern tone.

"M'lady, I do..." the stranger started but was cut off by Cynthia.

"Stop with that m'lady thing and listen. First of all. I am Cynthia. Cynthia Shirona. So I request you to call me by my actual name, Mr. Hairyman. And second of all. If you want to help me, just lie down and keep getting better. I am not asking that much do I?" asked Cynthia in a stern voice.

It's kinda weird. His deep voice sounds scary, but she has absolutely no fear of him. Even despite his caveman like appearance. The opposite actually. She enjoys his company, even when they talked only for a little while which is rather strange. Such a polite man that it actually was getting on her nerves.

For all she knows he can be some criminal. She doesn't know him in a slightest. He even doesn't want to tell her his name. So why is she not afraid of him? Why she enjoys talking with him. Why is she feeling so comfortable around him? It doesn't make any sense whatsoever!

"I... As you wish, lady Shirona." said the man in a defeated tone and he slowly climbed back onto the bed, lied down and let his head rest against the top of her bed with a pillow.

"What did I say about the use of my name?!" asked Cynthia sternly. But her stern voice didn't have any effect. The hairy man just chuckled and replied

"You said that I should call you by your name. Shirona is your last name isn't it, m'lady?"

"It is but I... Hey! You said m'lady again!" exclaimed Cynthia.

"Did I, lady Shirona?" asked the man with a smile again.

"Yes!" said Cynthia.

"Should I apologize, lady Shirona?" asked the man with a smile again. He was enjoying this banter that son of a bitch.

"Go on. I am listening." said Cynthia with a playful smile and went to pick the blanket from the floor, which lied there the whole night, since the time he was thrashing in her bed. She went to the blanket to pick it up and give it to the man so he can cover himself with it. Near the blanket, she bend over with her back facing the bed and picked the blanket. As she was doing this, the man began apologizing.

"I am sorry that I called you m'la..." said the man with a chuckle in the beginning, but he never finished his sentence. Just a quiet 'whoa' was heard after it. She was surprised when the man didn't finish his sentence. When she looked at him, his face was red and he wasn't looking at her face as he always did, but on her crotch area and a small amount of blood escaped his nose.

It took less than a second for Cynthia to realize what happened. Arceus she is still in her see-through gown! How did she not realize it sooner! And she basically just showed her butt in his face! Blood rushed to her cheeks and before she could think rationally she threw a blanket at the man and rushed out of the room with the words.

"You have NOT seen anything! Is that clear?!" said Cynthia quickly and she shut the door behind her.

"A... Are you sure? I am pretty sure that I saw something, lady Shirona." was heard in the room.

She was so red in her face that someone could mistake her from a tomato. He has some guts to tease her like this, she has to hand that to him. What is he trying to achieve? Is he trying to embarrass her even more? Does he want to play? Okay. She can play this game too.

"YES I AM! And for the record. I am the only one who lives here. Try to think about who dressed you in MY bathrobe and what I saw." she said with a sweet tone. After she said it, nothing was heard from the other side of the room. And after half a minute of silence, she asked again.

"So as I was saying. You have seen NOTHING! Is that clear NOW?" asked Cynthia. There was a slight pause before the man behind the door finally answered.

"I have seen nothing."

 _"Like a nice, mature, juicy and plump peach."_ thought Ash when Cynthia went to make the breakfast and as he caught the blanket and covered himself with it. He tried not to look when she bent over. He really tried. But her face was behind her legs and when he tried to follow her face, he just got kinda stuck on his way there. And how could anyone blame him? The Sinnoh Champion is basically showing him what others dream of. And against this, even he himself just fails to control himself.

Cynthia would murder him on a spot if she knew his thoughts. Wait. Does she know? He heard her thoughts on a stadium and when he was inside her mind. Could she hear him now?

 _"I wonder how does that particular peach taste like."_ he thought. Okay, if she heard this, he may as well try to find a nice place to be buried. Arceus, his thoughts were getting off the track again. Ash give himself a slap with his right hand so he could focus again.

So, Cynthia is the only person in the house. That means Team Rocket trio is long gone. That is a pity. He wanted to thank them and offer them hideout in the Haven until it will be safe for them to go out again. Hopefully, they will hide somewhere safe until he will defeat Team Rocket.

Question is. Will he go against them? After this experience, he is afraid. Truly afraid. He saw firsthand what they are capable of. He even had a nightmare about it until that blue Aura hand touched his shoulder and he didn't feel any of Domino's torture in that dream. And those kinds of nightmares will stay with him for a long time.

As he was thinking about giving up, he saw Cynthia's photo. The one where she is celebrating her 18th birthday. The photo of how everyone is happy in the picture. It makes Ash smile. This is what he is protecting by his actions. This is what he is trying to preserve from Team Rocket and their Psychic army. He is their only hope to stop them. He has to.

But his hands are shaking just when he only thinks about Team Rocket. He is afraid to fight them. Especially now. HOW should he fight them? His hand is missing. And to fight with a staff you need both hands. Can he even make an Aura Sphere with his missing hand? Can he create a shield with his missing hand? That is the problem. He was using his hands dynamically. While one created the shield, the other created the Aura Sphere. Now his hand synergy is completely shattered.

Suddenly the door opened and Cynthia wrapped in a towel got into the room. But it was weird. Her body was wrapped in a towel yet she was dry. She wasn't in a shower. She then went to the wardrobe to his left and was searching for some outfit. Suddenly his Aura sense tingled and he sensed a glimpses of her emotions. Shy. Embarrassed. Now it makes sense why she didn't say a word when she entered.

 _"I am a horrible person."_ said Ash to himself as he was preparing to embarrass Cynthia even more. But gosh he can't help himself, she is just so cute when she is blushing.

"Why the towel? I already saw everything, lady Shirona." said Ash with a playful voice and smile.

"No Mr. Hairyman you didn't. I saw everything. You saw just a glimpse of my butt." said blushing Cynthia.

 _"I think I saw much more."_ thought Ash. She obviously doesn't know about the incident that took place 3 years ago and his 'dream'. Good for him.

He isn't exactly bothered by the fact that she saw him naked. He has a little dignity left after what happened in that torture room. How he was pleading the devil to end it. How he gave up. Maybe he should give up altogether.

So many scars are on his body that he is terrified to go to a beach for a swim ever again. The scars behind Cynthia's bathrobe he is wearing are the constant reminder of the time he was just a piece of helpless meat to get stabbed.

Stabs. He heard them. How he was getting stabbed. He started breathing harshly when the images of the torture were flashing before him again. He heard the sound of a burning meat. He smelled the burning meat. His own meat. He heard the sound of a collar turning on again. He felt electricity run through his neck and the body again. His hands were twitching again in pain. The helplessness was coming again.

Somebody cupped his cheeks and hold him tightly. Ash saw Cynthia right before him only a few centimeters away from his face. She then opened her pink lips and began talking.

"You are here. You are safe. Nothing is going to hurt you here with me." she said in her lovely voice.

And the combination of her touch and words calmed him again. The power she has with a simple touch and words is outstanding. She is truly an angel in a black coat. For the second time today she took him away from his nightmare. When Ash calmed down he looked into her grey eye.

"Thank you." he said sincerely. She then gave him a smile and with her hands still on his cheeks she said.

"I'm going to change and make a breakfast. Will you be alright in the meantime?" she asked him sincerely again. Since she is sincere, he might as well be too.

"I don't think I will ever be OK again, lady Shirona." said Ash sincerely to Cynthia. He then closed his eyes and let his senses feel her soft, delicate hands on his cheeks. Trying to embrace every second she left her hands on his cheeks since it made him so much calmer and relaxed.

"I... I don't know what happened to you. And I won't force you to tell me. I don't think either of us is ready to hear it. I could tell you to forget it. To erase it. But I know it is not that easy. In your case, I think it's impossible. Only advise I can give you is to try and think of something pleasant. Beautifull. Happy. Dig up happy memories and try to bury the bad ones under the happy ones. Because as much as you try, the bad ones will always be there. The only thing you can do is try to beat them with the joyful ones." said Cynthia.

"Thank you, lady Shirona. Not just for the advice, but for everything. Thank you for taking such a good care of me." said Ash. Even when he had his eyes closed, he was embracing every word that left those pink lips. When he looked at Cynthia again she had a sad smile on her face. The only way her expression could be described is the look of pity.

"Should I stay here for a moment?" she asked with that loving smile again.

"No. I can't keep you here forever. You can go. I'll handle it. Somehow." said Ash.

She was still cupping his cheeks and didn't let him go. He was thinking about why was she holding him so long. He wasn't complaining because her simple touch has an incredible effect on him, but she doesn't know it. She eventually took her hands away from his cheeks and said.

"I have an idea." she said quickly and Ash could see a light blush on her cheeks before she turned around. Ash then realized that the towel that was once wrapped around her was on the floor next to the bed. She probably doesn't even realize it fell off when she tried to calm him. She then walked around the bed to the other side and picked a pokeball from the white stool. And before Ash could protest she opened the pokeball revealing a Lucario.

 _"Thank Arceus it's not Garchomp. That dragonshark would recognize me immediately."_ thought Ash.

"Lucario this is Mr. Hairyman. Mr. Hairyman this is Lucario. She will keep you company while I will make breakfast and change into something more appropriate." blushing Cynthia said as she covered her cleavage that was at full display in her nightgown.

"Nice to meet you Lucario. And since lady Shirona is already calling me like that, I guess I am Mr. Hairyman." said chuckling Ash as he looked at Lucario. Meh, the nickname could have been worse. The Lucario, however, was looking at him with watchful eyes and didn't say anything to greet him. Just a watchful stare. Uncomfortable one at that. He then looked at still blushing Cynthia who was still covering her cleavage with her hands.

 _"She is still embarrassed about the whole showing butt thing. And she is even covering her cleavage like she is naked here. I guess she doesn't like to show her body to others to stare at. That's actually kinda cute."_ thought Ash with a smile. Now that he thinks about it, he should take a glance at Cynthia's cleavage when he had a chance and ... compare some things from three years ago. For research of course. _"Where did the consciousness that was stopping me from things like this go?!"_ thought Ash.

"Since the electricity is out and I can't turn on television Lucario will hopefully keep you a pleasant company." said Cynthia as she was walking towards the door still covering her cleavage with both of her hands.

"Thank you lady Shirona. I am sure that the two of us will manage somehow." said Ash with a smile to Cynthia who smiled in return, took her clothes from the wardrobe and quickly left the room, leaving Lucario and Ash alone inside.

 _"Why? Why? Why? Why is this happening_!" yelled Cynthia in her thoughts as she leaned against the wooden door to her bedroom.

She wanted to kiss him! And not just on the forehead to make him feel like he is in good hands. Quite literally actually at that moment actually. She wanted to kiss him on the lips! Why?! This is NOT normal. She doesn't go around and just kisses guys. She isn't that type of girl. So why was that desire to kiss him on lips so strong?! And how could she just forget that she dropped the towel?! What is happening to her?! Did those blue eyes cast a spell on her?! She could swear to Arceus that there is some form of magic in them.

Wait a moment. He has the same voice she heard when she was glowing at the meeting. He uses already dead addressing that exists only in one kingdom, that by coincidence is tied to the history of Aura Guardians, which were known to have piercing blue eyes when fully trained. Not just that but they can emit Aura in a form of a blue energy from their bodies. Just like this Mr. Hairyman.

 _"He isn't just connected to Aura like me. He is the source of that power. HE is the last Aura Guardian!"_ Cynthia realized. Of course! They aren't extinct yet! Now it makes sense why Lucario was acting so weird around him! It all makes sense! That's why she isn't afraid of him. He is emitting that calming Aura energy that calms others around him! But wait. Why can she calm him down with a simple touch? The scar around his neck. It's in the same place where she was glowing! And that slash across his eye. There was one glow on the exact same place too. In fact, all of his scars appeared on her body before in a form of Aura.

Was it his way of calling for help? That would make kinda sense since he couldn't use any kind of other ability to call for help when being tortured. At least that's her theory. If he is an Aura Guardians that would explain everything except for a few things thing. How did he get here? Was there another person who was shining like her?

But what to do with this sudden knowledge? Should she ask him a bunch of questions? She is eager to learn about Aura but will he even tell her? Maybe it's like some big secret among them. Psychics shared everything in the Crimson Decade book to left something behind. And Guardians didn't leave anything. The only source of information about them is in that book. And there isn't much information about them, to begin with. Most of it is about Psychics and their abilities and how the Aura Guardians fought. And how the Guardians defeated them. How they learned the resistance to mental attacks and how they crushed them once they learned this ability.

 _"I hope he will tell me something about Aura."_ thought excited Cynthia and went to the kitchen to fetch something for breakfast and finally change from her black nightgown.

 _"It's a pleasure to meet you, Aura Guardian_." said the Lucario in the room to Ash as soon as Cynthia left the room and Lucario knelt before Ash.

"... What gave me away?" asked Ash. So much for keeping secrets around here. He should realize that releasing Lucario will be much worse than releasing Garchomp.

 _"A lot of things. The Aura around you. The amount of Aura energy stored inside you. That fact that you answered me when I asked you through Aura. Unique blue eyes. Fast healing. Your weight. Your big p..."_ she was on her way to list a bunch of things but then Ash stopped her.

"Okay! I think that would be enough, Lucario. I get it. One look at me and everybody can tell immediately." said defeated Ash who was still sitting on Cynthia's bed leaning against the top of the bed made of white wood. He thought there would be one or two reasons. But she could write a whole list of reasons why it was obvious. Is it THAT clear?

 _"Well. My mistress can't tell immediately."_ replied Lucario.

"By a mistress, you mean lady Shirona, right?" asked Ash. This Lucario is different from his own Lucario.

 _"Yes, Aura Guardian. My mistress is lady Shirona."_ answered Lucario.

"And she doesn't know I am Aura Guardian?" asked Ash trying to make things clear.

Lucario to his question nodded in her kneeling position.

"Good. Let it stand that way. Fewer things she knows about me, the better for her safety." said Ash.

"And for the love of Arceus stand up. I am no king for you to kneel and bow before." said Ash to Lucario who was still kneeling.

And after this, an awkward silence followed. So Ash looked away from Lucario and looked at the window to his right. It was raining. Heavily. He couldn't see anything through the storm. Wait. Where is he? He didn't even ask.

"Lucario?" asked Ash.

 _"Yes, Aura Guardian?"_

"Where am I exactly?"

 _"In the residence of my mistress in Pallet Town, Aura Guardian."_ replied Lucario.

"Pallet Town?!" exclaimed Ash with wide eyes and much louder then he intended.

 _"Yes."_ was a simple reply from Lucario.

He is home. He is home! How did he get here? Why is he here? Why is SHE here? Cynthia should have her residence in Celestic Town in Sinnoh, not in Pallet Town! How did the trio get him here?! Well, they at least didn't tell Cynthia who he is. At least it seems like it from the conversations they had so far.

"Umm... Doesn't lady Shirona live in Celestic Town in Sinnoh region, Lucario?" asked Ash trying to remain as calm as possible.

 _"Not anymore, Aura Guardian. She lived there nearly 3 years ago. But then she moved here after she became a champion of the Kanto region."_ replied Lucario.

"She is a champion of Kanto AND Sinnoh region?!" asked Ash in disbelief again.

 _"Not the Sinnoh Region, Aura Guardian. A man named Tobias beat her in battle and he is the new Champion of said region."_ replied Lucario.

 _"Wow. Not even Cynthia could stop him."_ thought Ash. "I see that I missed a lot when I went into hiding." said Ash sadly.

 _"May I ask why you went into hiding, Aura Guardian?"_ asked Lucario.

"You may ask. But the only answer I can give you is that it was because I have a secret mission to fulfill." replied Ash. "I already said too much about me. Let's talk about you for a minute." said Ash. But before he could ask Lucario anything else, the door of the bedroom opened and Cynthia walked in with a bowl in her hands and changed clothes.

And just like on the photo, she has the turquoise blouse and brown trousers with the addition of an iron watches on her left wrist. Nothing really fancy for a Champion Ash would say, but Cynthia looked great in it regardless.

"I am sorry, but since the electricity is down, I can't cook anything without it, so I made you some cereal. I hope it will be enough for you." said Cynthia with her lovely tone, and she made her way to the right side of the bed to give the bowl to Ash.

"I am sure it will, lady Shirona. Thank you." said Ash with a smile. But when he extended his hands to grab a bowl, there was that problem with his missing left hand again. He needs a table to be able to eat from a bowl from now on. Life without a hand will be really difficult.

"I'll feed you." said Cynthia when she saw his missing hand and she gave Ash that loving smile again.

"Thank you for your offer, lady Shirona but if you would just hold the bowl and give me the spoon, I'll manage." said Ash politely in return.

"I wasn't asking." said Cynthia. And she grabbed a spoon, scooped some cereal and was waiting for Ash to open his mouth. Sigh. Man, Cynthia is just as stubborn as he is. If not more. Well, what can he do? And so he made AAA sound and opened his mouth so Cynthia could feed him.

"So. How did you enjoy Lucario's company." asked Cynthia as she scooped another spoon from the bowl and looked at Lucario who was standing beside her.

"It was very nice. We talked a little and it was a very pleasant conversation, lady Shirona." said Ash when he finished chewing the cereals and was getting ready for another spoon.

"Talked?" asked Cynthia raising an eyebrow slightly. When she pulled the spoon out of his mouth.

"Well. It was mostly me talking and her listening." said Ash. He should really watch his tongue for her own good. Cynthia is still too observant. _"Observant like a true archeologist."_ thought Ash.

"And here I thought that you would jump at the opportunity to talk with someone like you." said Cynthia when she scooped another spoon.

"What are you implying, lady Shirona?" asked Ash.

"Nothing, Aura Guardian." said Cynthia.

"So you figured it out too." said Ash after a pause.

He needs to get out of here as soon as possible. It is only a matter of time before she will figure out his true identity too. At least his Aura abilities are finally getting into motion. Now it's really useful that he heals fast. Even though he is still sore, he should be able to meditate in this state and contact his Lucario. After Lucario's training, he was sore too, and he always managed to meditate. Even though this whole situation can't be even compared to Lucario's training, the soreness he has now can. The real question is if he can contact him from so far away. Pallet Town and Mount Coronet are as far away from each other as one can get.

"I should have figured it out sooner. I feel dumb that it didn't cross my mind." said Cynthia with a light chuckle at the end.

"You are not dumb, lady Shirona. Not everyone could figure it out. But I have one question for you. What gave it away? If you don't mind me asking?" asked Ash with a smile.

"Well. Aura was shining from you when I found you at my doorstep. Lucario's weird behavior around you. Your eyes. That m'lady part. When you piece the information together, you will get one Aura Guardian." said Cynthia when she scooped another spoon from now nearly empty bowl.

"Aura was glowing from me when you found me?" asked surprised Ash.

"Yes. From your abdomen. In fact, I was shining from the similar place too." said Cynthia when she scooped the last spoon and placed it in Ash's mouth. Ash had to say, she fed him without a problem he expected it to be worse, but they managed. Even when few drops of the milk got stuck on his long black beard.

"Huh. That's weird." said Ash with a nervous chuckle at the end. Aura is truly not on his side regarding his secret identity. When he thought about why the mark on his abdomen was shining, or why he heard her thoughts, it was always in specific circumstances. Always when he needed help. When he needed her. Stadium. Dream. Now she is saying that when he lied at her doorstep he was shining again. It always happened when he needed help the most. Maybe that's the connection between them.

Speaking of his Aura, Ash sensed the people outside of the residence. And they do not have good intentions. _"They came back for me."_ he thought.

Cynthia got up and was heading towards the door with an empty bowl in her hands,when Ash stopped her. "Stay. Here." said Ash now with a new deep, serious tone. Much more commanding and stern.

"W... What? I'm just going to get the bowl into the sink. I'll come back in a moment." replied surprised Cynthia. If his voice didn't scare her before, it sure did now. Even with the knowledge, he is an Aura Guardian.

"Lock the bedroom and stay here. People who did this to me are coming for me. I sense them with my Aura." said Ash as he pointed at his eye scar and then on his whole body. And again his voice was serious and stern.

He should have known. He should have known they would come back for him. He has to contact Lucario now. He has no other choice. His muscles are still too weak to go out into the storm behind the window. His Aura may come back, but his physical strength didn't. And what about Cynthia? He can't leave her here with them. Just a thought about the things they would do to her fills him with so much rage. He would kill every last one of them if they would dare to distort a single string of her hair. And if Ash would be paying attention to his surroundings Aura in form of light blue flames was forming around him until he finally calmed down.

"You are coming with me, lady Shirona." said Ash with his serious voice. He looked at Cynthia and her already big doll-like eyes were widened even more. She was afraid of him. Maybe he overdid it with those commands. He shouldn't panic like that and give commands out of nowhere. New try than.

"Lady Shirona. The people that are coming don't take prisoners. I saw what they are doing. I saw the result of inhuman experiments on innocent people. I will not let them take you and let you be experimented on and tortured just like I was. You need to come with me to stay out of their grasp. To be safe. Take your Pokemon with you and we must disappear from here." said Ash to her trying to sound calmer and inviting.

Cynthia was visibly thinking about this very hard. Ash could see the gears turning in her head trying to come up with an answer. She then looked at Lucario who was still standing in the room watching the whole exchange. Lucario nodded.

"But. How? We can't go into the storm like this. Not even my Garchomp can withstand this weather for too long. How can we get out of here?" said Cynthia. She usually can come up with dozens of plans in situations like this. But there was truly no way out. If they are closing in on them, and both of them have to escape, they won't get far in these conditions. Not in his state.

"I need to contact my friend through Aura so he can come for us." said Ash. Which Ash can only hope will work. He didn't plan to try this plan so quickly but he doesn't really have a chance. If Lucario is focusing, or even better, meditating, it should work even through the distance like this. But if not, then he is screwed. This time he doesn't want to feel his whole surroundings. He just needs to find one Pokemon. One Pokemon who is really far away. _"Let's hope for the best."_ thought Ash.

"How?" asked Cynthia. If he wasn't so serious, she would be all happy and giddy to finally see Aura Guardian doing Aura things. But since he looks completely serious, she is more afraid of what is coming for them. The man before he got into a position for meditation. Wait. Is he going to meditate NOW?

"That's not important, lady Shirona. Give me ten minutes. If nothing will happen I want you to run. Open the window, climb out and run as far and as fast as you can..." said Ash to her.

"But I..." said Cynthia but she was cut off by Ash.

"I wasn't asking. Take it as an order from an Aura Guardian." said Ash with a stone voice again. Cynthia was still looking at him with a surprised expression.

"I am sorry that I got you into this mess, lady Shirona." said Ash and then he closed his eyes and began his meditation.

And so Cynthia just stood there. Dumbfounded by the fast turn of events that took place. How did it happen so fast? Not just a minute ago she was feeding him and they had a great time. And in less than a minute, everything turned upside down. She looked at Lucario, who brought Cynthia her pokeballs with Cynthia's pokemon. Even Lucario is completely serious about this.

She then quickly stood up, picked the keys to her bedroom from the dresser below the window and locked the bedroom as the Aura Guardian asked.

But what now? She didn't know what to do. She just sat on the side of the bed with Lucario and was waiting with her pokeballs in her lap. That is the only thing she needs with her. She could start packing more things up, but she is just too shocked by this quick turn of events. She doesn't even know what to pack up. Where will they go? And then there is the possibility Aura Guardian won't make it in time and she will have to go through the window without anything. There is no reason to pack something.

And the seconds were running slowly. Too slowly for her taste. Both Cynthia and her Lucario were absolutely quiet, trying not to disturb the Aura Guardian from his meditation. But even when they didn't move or talk, he visibly twitched. Cynthia isn't an expert on meditation by any means, but she knows that you had to be absolutely still and calm to achieve... something. The Guardian wasn't calm at all.

She couldn't really blame him. The people that were apparently torturing him are around the corner and he has to keep his head empty and calm. Is he even capable to be absolutely calm in this situation? And then the hand that rested on his legs twitched again. They aren't going to get far if this will continue.

 _"Maybe..."_ she thought.

It worked once so it might as well work now too. She grabbed the pokeballs from her lap, attached them to her belt, and she slowly and carefuly went to sit behind the meditating Aura Guardian. She draws his long hair aside and she placed her hand on the back of Aura Guardians neck.

Immediately after she placed her hand on the back of his neck, his tensed muscles visibly relaxed and he let out a loud breath out.

 _"He would have told me if this was ruining his plans. Right_?" thought unsure Cynthia. She looked at Lucario and the Pokemon again nodded. This time with a slight smile. Seems like she is doing at least something right.

And so she waited. With her hand on his neck. Counting seconds. She looked at her watch and 1 minute already went by. Hopefully, they will make it. Will they even find her here that fast? It's really annoying that both Lucario and Aura Guardian knows what is coming and she can only guess. And she can't just ask Lucario. Or maybe she can. But she isn't going to risk the fact that she can disturb his meditation.

Eight minutes passed by and he was still not waking up. What is worse, someone outside yelled.

"Tracks are leading into the villa! Come here!"

Okay, now she is really afraid. If these are the people who put the meditating man in front of her into the state she found him, she has a big reason too. He has some bullet wounds, so these guys can very well shoot her.

The ninth minute passed and she could hear a lot of footsteps below the window. A LOT. There are at least 10 people just under the window now. There are maybe more around her residence to make sure she will not escape. Her breathing quickened. She tried to be calm so she would not disturb the Aura Guardian, but she just couldn't. She felt surrounded with no way out.

With the tenth minute rolling around, she heard a knock at her door. And right after one knock, another came. These guys don't have any patience. Another, a more forceful knock was heard. And right after that, some man said.

"Guys. Look here."

This sentence was followed by a moment of silence. This is probably her chance to flee. Cynthia looked at the window and the storm outside. Ten minutes went by. She isn't afraid of the storm. But going out there and running from some guys is not something she wants to do. Not to mention.

 _"I can't let him go through that torture again_." she thought when she looked at the back of a meditating man in front of her. He was risking his life here just for her. Just so she has a chance to get out before it would be too late. Now she could see why Aura Guardians are extinct. If they always risk their lives to protect people no matter how long they know them, then it makes perfect sense.

CRASH

It came from the outside. Her door. They were trying to break into the house by force. Okay. If she doubted that the guys that are coming are bad guys, this was definitely a sign.

CRASH

Another one. Thank Arceus she has the doors made out of the best wood there was to offer and by the best builders she found in Kanto. Otherwise, they would be already inside.

CRASH

This time she could hear the door creaking. Doors were slowly giving in. If all the men she heard below her window are trying to ram the door, then they would get into her house by the next ram.

And they did. She heard the doors fall on the floor and the loud storm outside just got louder with the open door. She looked at Lucario and she was prepared by the entrance into the bedroom to stall the guys. It was clear even to the Lucario, that without the Aura Guardian, they are not going anywhere.

"SCOUT THE RESIDENCE! FIND HIM AND BRING HIM TO ME! ALIVE OR DEAD! IT DOESN'T MATTER!" said some loud woman.

 _"Lucario! I need you! Answer me! I escaped and we need your help! Do you hear me?!"_ Ash yelled in his mind trying to reach the link he and Lucario have. If both of them are looking for each other through the link it should work.

 _"Lucario! Are you there? Somewhere?! Please listen and answer me!"_ yelled Ash again. But nothing answered back.

 _"LUCARIO!"_ Ash yelled desperately. And again. Nothing. Did they give up on him? Did they assume he is dead already? He can't blame them. He was gone for more than a week. Maybe he should end it while he still can. He can't go through the torture again.

 _"Ash?"_

 _"Thank Arceus! Send Mewtwo to Cynthia's residence in Pallet Town immediately! We are surrounded by Team Rocket and I can't fight them."_ said Ash quickly.

 _"We?"_ asked surprised Lucario.

 _"I don't have time for this. SEND HIM NOW!"_ said Ash seriously.

Suddenly a loud crash was heard that brought him back into the reality. His eyes shot open and he saw Lucario preparing for the fight in front of the door. Another loud crash was heard and now he saw that the door to the bedroom moved slightly. _"They should be long gone."_ thought Ash when he felt Cynthia's soft hand against the back of his neck and saw Lucario before him. She is really stubborn.

"Did you do it?" asked Cynthia in a shaky voice behind him.

"Help is on the way." replied Ash and Ash felt Cynthia's hand drop off his neck.

"SOMEONE IS IN THERE! COME HERE!" yelled someone behind the door. They both could hear a lot of footsteps coming to their door. The next ram will be the final.

"Cynthia recall your Lucario and stay behind me!" said Ash.

Ash looked at Cynthia behind him and she started talking. "She will help with the fight and I will t..."

"Cynthia! They have guns and they can shoot both of you. Recall her. I have a plan, but you have to stay close to me and trust me." said Ash to Cynthia looking directly into her eyes. And Ash's eyes began glowing a when he said the words to Cynthia.

 _"He has a plan."_ this was running through Cynthia's head. So when she finally stopped looking into his eyes, she quickly recalled Lucario despite her protests.

Immediately after she recalled her Pokemon, the door flew open and landed near the window on the other side of the room. Several men dressed in black jumped into the room and immediately picked their weapons and aimed them at her and the Aura Guardian. Aura Guardian then with some quick maneuver she wasn't able to follow grabbed her by the waist and pulled her from behind him to his lap and he quickly extended his arm, which grabbed her milliseconds before, against the men that tore the door open.

Then a lot of gunshots were heard. She closed her eyes tightly, grit her teeth and awaited the worst. But the pain of bullets never came. She felt an arm without a hand around her as she had her eyes closed tightly and her face was buried in the Aura Guardians chest. Another round of bullets was shot but nothing happened again.

"Stop!" yelled a woman voice.

Cynthia then slowly opened her eyes and looked around. The bed on which she and the Aura Guardian were sitting was enveloped on some kind of a blue barrier. She looked up and saw the Aura Guardians expression. He was in pain. A lot of pain.

"I see that you found yourself a friend." said the woman in an uncomfortable voice.

"Get out of my sight you monster." said the Aura Guardian who still had his relatively healthy arm extended against the guns. _"He created this barrier."_ Cynthia realized.

"Don't worry. I will go away. Once your barrier falls down I will be gone with both of you tied up right behind me. You are a bad pet for running away from me and you need to be properly punished. And I am sure that my coworkers will welcome such a nice addition as the Champion is to their toy baskets." said the blonde woman who Cynthia never saw.

"I will not let you take us back there alive." said the Aura Guardian in all seriousness.

"Really?" asked the woman a give a slight wave with her hand. Right after it, another salvage of bullets came, but none penetrated the shield around them. The shield flicked however and the Aura Guardian released a painful groan.

"My pet. You are in no condition and have no energy to defend yourself. Just give up already." said the woman.

And when Cynthia looked at the man she could tell he was really considering it. She saw it in those glowing blue eyes. He wanted to give up. He was tired of fighting against them.

"It would be much easier wouldn't it? To give up and finally stop fighting for a moment. It would be finally over and you could sleep forever. I can see it in your eyes. You want it. You are a smart man. Drop the shield when the next round of bullets will come it will be over. You will have the rest you dream about for so long." said the woman with a sleazy grin.

"Don't give up. If someone can pull this off it's you. You asked me to trust you and I believe in you. Don't make me regret my decision." said Cynthia in a quiet tone to the Aura Guardian as she turned around on his lap to be face to face with the man. He looked at her with an unreadable expression and then the corners of his mouth formed a small sad smile.

"You are putting a faith in a man that already gave up on himself, Champion. That's not very wise." said the woman with a chuckle to Cynthia.

"I will not fail you this time, Cynthia." said quietly the Aura Guardian to Cynthia just before the woman dressed in black gave a command.

"Fire until your magazines are empty." said the woman.

A whirlwind of bullets was released against the shield that was guarding them and with each one Aura Guardian's extended hand twitched and his face formed a painful expression. And as more and more bullets were coming, Cynthia could only watch as the man who was protecting her was releasing painful groans every time a bullet stopped against the barrier.

"Hang on. You can do it." said Cynthia to his face while still sitting on his lap. Although he wasn't looking at her she hoped that he heard her. Instead of looking at Cynthia, he was looking at the woman who gave a command with his piercing blue eyes. Bullet after bullet was hitting the barrier but the barrier never flicked. However, the Aura-barrier around them was getting much smaller. The Aura-barrier that once enveloped their entire bed was getting smaller and smaller with every new bullet released.

Then the last gunshot was heard and the once big Aura-shield that enveloped her whole double-bed was barely able to hold both of them inside. If she wouldn't be sitting on his lap, she would be outside of his shield. He made it. However, her savior didn't look good. Sweat was covering his whole face and strands of his hair were sticking to his face. His right hand was trembling so much that she was surprised that he was still being able to hold Aura-barrier around them. His eyes were shut and he was breathing heavily trying to get some oxygen into his lungs.

"JUST DIE ALREADY!" yelled the blonde woman in frustration. As she grabbed her empty gun and threw it against the shield. The gun just bounced off the shield and landed on the bed.

After that Cynthia saw something behind said woman. Some creature that was as tall as the woman appeared out of nowhere in her bedroom. His eyes glowed in a blue light and all the men and the woman in the room fall down and it looked like they were asleep.

This Pokemon then walked towards her and The Aura Guardian who managed to lift his head up after the exhausting defense. When he saw the bipedal Pokemon a smile formed on his face and he let his shaking right arm fall down and the shield disperse.

"You took your time I have to say." said the exhausted Aura Guardian.

 _"It's hard to find a house in this storm."_ said the Pokemon and immediately Cynthia knew that this Pokemon was using a telepathy.

"Big house like this is hard to find?" asked the Aura Guardian jokingly.

 _"You would be surprised how hard it is in this weather."_ said the Pokemon.

"Umm... Excuse me but we nearly died and you are going to joke around like nothing happened?" asked Cynthia in disbelief about what was happening in front of her eyes.

"I have survived worst, lady Shirona." said the Aura Guardian as he looked into her uncovered eye.

How can someone have such eyes? Cynthia herself was looking into the sea eyes of the Aura Guardian and she was getting lost in them again. She was just a few centimeters away from his face and from up this close, his eyes are even more beautiful.

"Really?" she asked and her voice jumped to an unusual high note as she still couldn't look anywhere else but those eyes.

"Yes, lady Shirona." said the Aura Guardian in barely a whisper. Just the way he said it sent shivers from the top of her spine to the very bottom of her toes. Her heart stopped and skipped a few beats and the tingly feeling in her stomach wasn't helping her control herself either. The suspense inside her bedroom could not be measured. The silence in the room was only undercut by their loud breaths and the tension between them was rising rapidly. Her brain was completely off and she started to lean forward. Unfortunately for her, someone ruined their moment.

 _"Umm... should I come another time?"_ asked the Pokemon as he looked at the position they were in.

The Aura Guardian was still in his meditative seating and Cynthia was still sitting on his lap. More precisely, on his left knee and the Guardian still had his left arm on her waist to keep her close to him. And Cynthia herself had her left arm around wrapped around Aura Guardians back and her right hand was resting again the bed. Not to mention their faces were a few centimeters from each other. All in all the position they were in looked very... intimate.

Cynthia than jumped from his lap and quickly stood next to her bed with a blush on her cheeks. When she looked at the Aura Guardian he himself was blushing really hard.

"... I would say you came just in time." said the Aura Guardian after he got rid of his blushing cheeks and got himself together. He can calm down pretty quickly. Unlike her.

Blushing Cynthia herself a problem to get herself together after this little experience. She would have never imagined this kind of tension between two humans is even possible. The urge to kiss him was now much more apparent than before. _"Those damn eyes!"_ she thought angrily. They truly do cast a spell on her. How else can you explain that not even 5 minutes after the life and death experience she just wants to kiss some guy she met not even day ago?! Damn those eyes. And the closer she is to them the stronger the spell is! Spell that causes her to lose all control over herself and stops her from thinking rationally! Why she even wants even kiss him so badly?! She would have to fight through that black bush on his face first to get to his lips! It's all so annoying!

It took a while, but Cynthia calmed down after thinking about anything else then Aura Guardians and blue eyes. Cynthia then realized that something was beeping in the bedroom. She looked where she thought she heard the sound of the beeping and she saw that something on the woman that the Aura Guardian was talking with was blinking. Some green LED diode on her belt. Before she could say anything an Alakazam teleported into her bedroom, picked the woman up and teleported out of there before they could say anything.

"More of them are coming, let's get out of this place. I don't want to repeat the same mistake twice." said the Aura Guardian to the Pokemon when he registered the Alakazam teleporting out of there.

 _"Should I teleport them with you and me too?"_ said the Pokemon and he pointed to the men that were unconscious on the floor.

"Not just them. Lady Shirona is coming with us." said the Aura Guardian.

 _"WHAT?!"_ asked the Pokemon.

"I said we are taking lady Shirona with us. She took care of me when she found me and I can't let her stay here with Team Rocket still somewhere out there." said the Aura Guardian seriously as Cynthia was watching the exchange between them. _"Team Rocket? That was Team Rocket?!"_ thought Cynthia. Things just got a whole lot more interesting for her.

 _"You can't be serious. I will get her anywhere else. We can't bring her to..."_ said the Pokemon but Aura Guardian interrupted him.

"We must. With Domino..." started Ash but then he saw the confused face of Mewtwo.

"With that blonde woman who got teleported out of here by an Alakazam, Team Rocket will know Cynthia helped me and they would find her sooner or later. And you know very well what they are doing to the ones who are close to their enemies. I wasn't asking Mewtwo. She is coming with us. End of the debate." said the Aura Guardian seriously.

She was getting more and more fond of that dominant side of him. It was nice when they were just enjoying each others company and had fun, but this at least shows that when things get serious, he does what has to be done. Like a true Aura Guardian should. Then another thought went through her mind. _"So Mewtwo is the Pokemon's name. Never heard of that one."_ thought Cynthia. Cynthia was carefully observing both of them to catch any information that could uncover more things about the Aura Guardian that appeared at her doorstep.

 _"... As you wish... I hope you know what you are doing."_ said Mewtwo who was looking at Cynthia.

And before she could even blink, Mewtwo teleported her, the Aura Guardian and the men that attacked them out of her residence.

 **Author's note: Pfew. I thought that this chapter will be much shorter than this. I was even afraid to start writing. I went into this chapter only with thoughts like. "Ash will wake up first next to her thigh and it will end with both of them teleporting back to the Haven before TR can catch them." And somehow I managed to make that simple sentence into 11k words.**

 **So I hope you enjoyed the banter between Ash and Cynthia through this chapter. I like how it turned out, but in the end, it's all about you, readers, and if you like it. So let me know if you enjoyed it and if you would change some things. Or you can share some ideas for them with me and I might use them.**

 **I know that teleporting Domino out of there in the last second was a dick move, but I have something special saved up for her and Giovanni so I hope you will forgive me for this once I will put them face to face with Ash.**

 **Anyway, next chapter you will finally find out what is inside that RED file I teased at the end of chapter 15. So you have that to look forward to next. And more banter between our love duo of course.**

 **That's all from me. Faptime's out.**

 **Ash's Pokemon in The Haven and their moveset:**

 **Pikachu (Male) – Thunder, Quick Attack, Iron Tail, Volt Tackle**

 **Luxray (Female) – Thunder Fang, Crunch, Volt Switch, Wild Charge**

 **Bulbasaur (Male) – Vine Whip, Razor Leaf, Leech Seed, Solar Beam**

 **Meganium (Female) – Grassy Terrain, Magical Leaf, Vine Whip, Petal Dance**

 **Sceptile (Male) – Leaf Storm, Solar Beam, Leaf Blade, Double Team**

 **Torterra (Male) – Leaf Storm, Energy Ball, Rock Climb, Synthesis**

 **Feraligatr (Male) – Ice Fang, Crunch, Slash, Bulldoze**

 **Crawdaunt (Male) – Bubble Beam, Knock Off, Vice Grip, Harden**

 **Kingler (Male) – Water Gun, Metal Claw, Crabhammer, Hyper Beam**

 **Floatzel (Male) - Aqua Jet, Hydro Pump, Sonic Boom, Ice Punch**

 **Milotic (Female) – Aqua Tail, Water Pulse, Scald, Twister,**

 **Torkoal (Male) - Heat Wave, Overheat, Iron Defense. Rock Slide**

 **Typhlosion (Female) – Flamethrower, Eruption, Aerial Ace, Swift**

 **Infernape (Male) – Overheat, Flare Blitz, Mach Punch, Dig**

 **Charizard (Male) – Flamethrower, Dragon Rage, Dragon Tail, Seismic Toss**

 **Noctowl (Male) – Confusion, Sky Attack, Air Slash, Extrasensory**

 **Swellow (Male) – U-Turn, Roost, Aerial Ace, Double Team**

 **Staraptor (Male) – Quick Attack, Wing Attack, Brave Bird, Close Combat**

 **Tauros x30 (Males) – Fissure, Take Down, Horn Attack, Zen Headbutt**

 **Snorlax (Male) – Ice Punch, Rest, Hyper Beam, Body Slam**

 **Donphan (Male) – Rollout, Earthquake, Take Down, Hyper Beam**

 **Gliscor (Male) – X-Scissor, Fire Fang, Giga Impact, Stone Edge**

 **Heracross (Male) – Megahorn, Sleep Talk, Focus Punch, Hyper Beam**

 **Muk (Male) – Sludge Bomb, Body Slam, Mud Bomb, Acid Spray**

 **Toxicroak (Male) – Sludge Wave, Poison Jab, Sucker Punch, Low Sweep**

 **Glalie (Male) – Ice Beam, Shadow Ball, Protect, Crunch**

 **Garchomp (Male) – Dig, Slash, Dragon Rush, Draco Meteor**

 **Sableye (Male) – Shadow Ball, Power Gem, Will-O-Wisp, Detect**

 **Lucario (Male) – Aura Sphere, Blaze Kick, Bone Rush, Force Palm**

 **Metagross (Genderless) - Meteor Mash, Gyro Ball, Psychic, Flash Cannon**

 **Aggron (Male) – Metal Claw, Metal Sound, Iron Head, Thunderbolt**

 **Weavile (Female) – Night Slash, Metal Claw, Hidden Power, Blizzard**

 **Absol (Female) – Night Slash, Razor Wind, Attract, Fire Blast**

 **Tyranitar (Female) – Stone Edge, Earthquake, Dark Pulse, Dragon Claw**

 **Gardevoir (Female) – Teleport, Light Screen, Calm Mind, Heal Pulse**

 **Mewtwo (Male) – Psystrike, Psychic, Dream Eater, Hypnosis**

 **That's it for now.**

 **Reviews are appreciated.**


	20. Back from the dead: Sacrifice

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Pokemon or any of these characters.**

 **Author's note: Before you stone me to death for a late update, I just want to let you know I don't have that much time anymore to write these chapters. So here you have the next chapter.**

"classic conversation"

 _"thoughts/telepathy/pokespeech"_

 **SHOUT-OUT TO YoungsterAustin. I AM GRATEFUL THAT HE TOOK HIS TIME WITH THIS CHAPTER AND RAN THROUGH IT. THANK YOU!**

 **That is all for now. Enjoy.**

* * *

 **XVI. Back from the dead: Sacrifice**

„This is your home? A cave?" asked Cynthia, surprised after the teleportation.

The first thought she had was why were they inside a cave. But as she took in the surroundings, she knew this was no ordinary cave. The grass on the floor for starters wasn't something you would find in caves. Then the torches all around the cave. Some kind of pond in the corner, hidden behind several bushes with some berries growing on them. There was a big campfire, of which they were standing by. Speaking of the campfire, there was a bag right next to it. A green backpack that was in really bad shape. The backpack's color was a bland green, there were several holes, and the backpack was all in all pretty worn out. It all pointed to the fact that the Aura Guardian lives here, with a bunch of Pokemon. Speaking of these Pokemon, all of them started running towards them as soon as they appeared.

„We like to call it 'The Haven', lady Shirona. But... Yeah. You could say it's just a cave." said the Aura Guardian. He was still sitting in his meditative position on the grassy floor of the cave. _„He still can't get up."_ thought Cynthia.

Before Cynthia could say anything else, they were surrounded by a lot of Pokemon. She immediately reached for her pokeball and was ready to call out Garchomp for defense if the fight would emerge, but someone caught her hand before she could do so. She looked over her right shoulder and saw the Pokemon to who the Aura Guardian referred to as 'Mewtwo' caught her hand and he slightly shook his head.

„How have you guys been?" asked the Aura Guardian to the Pokemon who stood before them. One Pokemon made her way through the crowd of Pokemon and knelt beside the Aura Guardian. And a Gardevoir took the arm with the missing hand in her hands and looked at the missing hand with a sad expression. In fact, all of the Pokemon were staring at the missing hand with worried, sad, and surprised faces.

„Hope you guys had a better time than me." said the Aura Guardian sadly as he looked at Gardevoir and his missing hand.

Around this time, Mewtwo finally let go of her hand. Cynthia looked at all the Pokemon before her. There was truly a lot of them. And all of them looked strong and well trained. _„Are they all his?"_ thought Cynthia.

Then another Pokemon emerged from the crowd of Pokemon and this time it was a Pikachu. Immediately Aura Guardian lighten up and he smiled when the Pikachu run towards him and jumped on the Guardians shoulder and nuzzled the Guardians cheeks to which the Aura Guardian chuckled and the Pikachu released a cute 'chaaaaa'.

„Did they listened to you when I took an unreported vacation, Pikachu?" asked the Aura Guardian while petting the yellow mouse in a joking manner.

„Pi, pi pikachu chu pika pika." said Pikachu cheerfully.

„Yeah. It's even hard for me to keep them in line. I'm not surprised there were troubles with those two." said the Aura Guardian.

Cynthia who was watching the whole exchange had a sense of Deja vú. The sight of a man with a Pikachu on shoulder brings back a handful of memories from the past regarding a certain boy from Pallet Town. An image of a raven-haired boy with brown eyes and a signature hat on his head appeared in front of her.

„Lady Shirona?" asked the Aura Guardian and he snapped Cynthia out of her thoughts.

„Yes?" she replied.

„I would like to introduce you to my Pokemon. Guys, this is lady Shirona. She will stay here until its safe for her to return to the outside world." said the Aura Guardian.

All the other Pokemon looked at her with watchful eyes, all of them carefully examining her which in turn, made her a little nervous so she decided to break the silence.

„Pleasure to meet you." she said, trying to sound as lovely as she could. But it had no effect and instead, the Pokemon greeted her with eyes that clearly stated she is not welcomed here.

„Guys, be nice. She saved me and took care of me when I needed it. She even risked her life for me, so until Team Rocket is gone, she will stay here and I would appreciate it if you would treat our guest nicely." said the Aura Guardian to his Pokemon.

This, thankfully worked and even when they were still looking at her, however, their looks were of gratitude, and not those of dislike and suspicion like before. But then their eyes drifted towards the dozen of Team Rocket members that were teleported with them too. And right then and there, Cynthia heard some growls and saw the looks of unbridled rage in those Pokemon.

„When will they wake up, Mewtwo?" asked the Aura Guardian, who was now looking at the dozen Team Rocket grunts that were teleported here with them.

„In an hour or two." said Mewtwo in an emotionless voice.

„Guys. Find some ropes and tie them up." said the Aura Guardian.

„INFERNAPE NAPE INFERNAPE IN INFERNAPE!" was heard from the crowd. An Infernape yelled out something, of which Cynthia didn't understand as the other Pokemon went for some ropes.

„Don't worry Infernape. You will have a round with them as I will be recovering. But I need to know what they know before I give them to you, so you will have to keep your fists to yourself just a little longer." said the Aura Guardian.

„You're going to let your Infernape beat them up?" asked a surprised Cynthia.

„It's entirely up to Infernape what will happen to them." said the Aura Guardian.

„Don't you think that's a little barbaric?" asked Cynthia.

„And trying to shoot an innocent woman and an injured person isn't, lady Shirona?" said the Aura Guardian.

„It is... but still. I thought that you would try to find a more reasonable solution." said Cynthia.

„A reasonable solution would be to kill them all. Scum like these don't deserve to live." said the Aura Guardian.

„What?! That's too much! Even for people like them!" exclaimed a shocked Cynthia.

„Don't be mistaken, lady Shirona. These creatures are not people. They do things you can't even imagine. Things that a sane mind could never come up with. They are monsters, lady Shirona. True monsters. And unlike those under children's beds. These are real" said the Aura Guardian.

„Try me then. Try to describe to me what they can do." asked Cynthia, who was getting a little angry at the Aura Guardian. Killing someone is serious business. Even if they tortured him, life is a precious thing. Nobody has the right to kill someone. _„Although. They tried to murder us..."_ thought Cynthia. It was really complicated to decide whenever the life should be taken or not now that she thought about it.

„I will tell you an alternate story then. A story where I would not end up at your doorstep. If they would come into your house and didn't find me there, you would still be in big troubles too. They would demand information about me even if you wouldn't have them in a first place, and you would truly know nothing about me. Do you know what they would do then? They would beat you up, with you not knowing what you did to them. And it would not be a light beating either. These monsters enjoy the pain of others, they enjoy the suffering of others, and when you could not take any more beatings any longer and you would fall unconscious. They would then transport you to one of their bases so they could 'play' with you. After you would wake up, the worst part would begin. Some sick Team Rocket grunt would most likely rape you, and the more you would cry, the more these monsters would enjoy it. After you would get used to being used like this and you would show that you don't care anymore, they would raise a bar. They would start to torture you, and your cries of pain would be music to their ears once again. Helpless and in pain, the only thing you would wish would be death. Painful or not, you would not care. You would only want to die, to end the suffering, your only goal would be to die. And when you will finally be on a verge of death, an iron helmet will be placed on your head. After this, the final phase began. An Experiment, an experiment that will completely shatter your brain and you will be suffering mentally for god knows how long in your own mind. Only, after all of this; after hours and hours of suffering, the sleep, which you will never wake up from, will finally come." said the Aura Guardian. And after a small pause, he continued.

„Now tell me, lady Shirona. Do 'people' that do these things deserve to live? I no longer think so." Said the Aura Guardian.

„... No." said Cynthia. Cynthia initially thought that the Aura Guardian was tortured because he knew something. Something valuable. If they torture people just for fun of it, then these people are true monsters. Not that a torture for information is any better, but just for fun is just pure sickening.

„So... You will kill them." said Cynthia nervously as she looked at the unconscious bodies of Team Rocket grunts near the big boulder that was blocking the entrance into the cave.

„No. I am no murderer, lady Shirona. The fact that I think they don't deserve to live doesn't mean that I can go around and murder people I think to deserve death. I am an Aura Guardian, not an executioner or a judge." said the Aura Guardian to which Cynthia formed a small smile on her face.

„However, they will not leave this place unpunished. Infernape will beat them up until they realize that what they are doing is a monstrosity." said the Aura Guardian.

„I... can get behind that decision." said Cynthia.

He is truly special. Cynthia began to really admire the man sitting before her. He was tortured to some unimaginable lengths, but he is still keeping his head calm and rational. He isn't blinded by rage and hate for what they did to him like most people would. Other people with this power would go on a murderous killing spree after being treated like he was, but he didn't. He must have a strong will to not succumb to the hate and murder every Team Rocket grunt he could get his hands on.

Cynthia then looked around and saw that all the Pokemon were looking at her. Even the Aura Guardian was watching her. They were watching her whole conversation with the Aura Guardian. It was getting quite uncomfortable.

„What now?" asked Cynthia.

* * *

 _„Even with a large fireplace like this, it's still cold in here. Why is it so cold in here? And where am I?"_ thought Cynthia, sitting near the big fireplace in the middle of a cave.

Cynthia poked the burning embers in the fireplace with a stick that was around to get more heat from the fire. Turning her head to the right, she saw several Pokemon talking to the Aura Guardian. Some Pokemon even pointed at her when saying something to him in a pokespeech. She no doubt shook the regime they were having here in the foundations. No one expected her here, not even her herself. It all happened so fast.

Cynthia then looked into the fire and was watching the wood burn. Thinking. She nearly died. The bullets meant for her were stopped just a few centimeters from her face. When the Aura Guardian told her the story of what could happen to her, she didn't believe it at first, but the more thought she put into it, the more sense it made. They didn't even care she was there. The only thing they wanted was to kill the Aura Guardian. They wanted him dead so much, and they didn't even care if she died alongside him. A Champion of Kanto. That would have to put a lot of attention towards them. _„Is the Aura Guardian really that dangerous?"_ she thought.

After another nudge to the burning wood, a small cloud of smoke emerged from the fireplace. It was heading towards her so she covered her eyes and looked at the ground. With her eyes half closed, she saw a green worn out backpack, but she didn't see a backpack, she saw information.

„I need to know." she thought, unable to suppress her thirst for knowledge. She then glanced at her right where the group of Pokemon with the Aura Guardian sits. When she saw that nobody was paying any attention to her, she grabbed the backpack and opened it.

 _„Good. There is a lot of things."_ thought an excited Cynthia. It has been some time since she could solve a mystery, and this one peaked her interest very much.

The first thing she encountered was a bunch of black T-shirts. When she took them all out, there were 7 of them. 7 folded black T-shirts. When she took a closer look at all of them, she saw that each one was in a different size. If he is truly the only human living here, why are there different sizes? There were also several blue trousers in different sizes too.

Another cloth she pulled out was a grey scarf. Nothing really interesting was about that item so she placed it next to her and continued searching.

Cynthia placed the T-shirts to her left and went back into the backpack. She then encountered a red pokedex. However, when she took it out and examined it, the pokedex was broken.

 _„Damn. That could have been a very strong source of information."_ she thought.

She then reached into the backpack once again, and now she pulled out a small, blue, flat box. She opened it and was greeted by a tusk on a leather necklace.

Her eyes widened at the sight of this item. She snatched it from the box and took a closer look. She saw small notches all around the tusk. And just from that, she knew this was one prehistoric tusk. The same tusk she saw on a picture from Steven. The same tusk she...

 _„Wait... No... No.. NO! THAT'S NOT POSSIBLE!"_ she thought.

And without a second thought, she threw the tusk on the ground and reached inside the back once again. This time she nearly ripped through the backpack once she reached the bottom. She then grabbed whatever was inside and pulled it out. When she lied eyes on the thing she pulled out, her heart stopped.

Black jacket with short white sleeves and a yellow stripe across the chest. A signature clothing of a certain boy. But that wasn't the thing which caused a storm inside of her. It was the cap. A red and black cap with a blue symbol on the front. She just stood there, completely unable to move and just staring at the cap.

A minute passed by and she still stared at the cap in front of her, like she saw a ghost. She then threw the cap and jacket on the ground too and she then quickly took the backpack and looked at it with the eyes of a detective. Yes. It was definitely it. The same backpack he once wore.

She then looked to her right again. Now carefully examining every Pokemon there. An enormous Charizard, even by Charizard standards. Infernape. Shiny Noctowl. Pikachu. The very same Pikachu which was very affectionate towards him just a few minutes ago. She could name every Pokemon he had and she could find the Pokemon here.

However, he himself looks different. The only thing that was connecting the seemingly two unrelated men were coal black hair. But there was no doubt. The way he spoke with his Pokemon. Only one person she met in her life could understand Pokemon like he does.

Without a second thought, she stood up and ran to the Aura Guardian. To the Aura Guardian that was supposed to be dead for three years.

* * *

„I know, I know, I know. She shouldn't be here, but what could I do? Let her be hunted down by Team Rocket?" said Ash to his crew of Pokemon. He was leaned against a wall of the cave and all of his Pokemon were surrounding him. The first thing they were asking him was things about his hand and the eye scar. They quickly learned not to ask those type of questions, because Lucario had to step in and calm Ash down when he thought about the time he spent in the torture room. That left only one topic to be discussed.

 _„You could have sent her anywhere else."_ said Torterra to him in a pokespeech.

„The only place where she is safe, is here. And until Team Rocket is defeated she will stay here." said Ash.

 _„What if she discovers your identity?"_ asked Sceptile.

„She won't. She thinks I am dead and I look nothing like my younger self." said Ash, and as soon as Ash said it, Cynthia emerged from the group of Pokemon and she pushed other Pokemon aside.

He was about to ask her what is going on, but then he saw the look on her face. Her uncovered eye widened to such an extent, that it looked like she was just spooked by a ghost. Her lips parted ever so slightly for him to just see the glimpse of her teeth. Quick breaths were let out from those pink lips like she has just run around the entire city, and her hands were shaking extremely.

„Ash?" asked Cynthia, with tears forming in her eyes.

 _„Dammit."_ thought Ash. „What?" he asked trying to get out of this situation.

„Don't Ash. Please. Just. Don't." she said with trembling voice and teary eyes.

„Lady Shirona. What are you talking about?" asked Ash. He knew very well what she was talking about. How did she figure it out so fast? He is not prepared to tell her the truth. Not after all the things he went through. Not right now.

„Why did you let us think you died, Ash?" asked Cynthia with more tremble in her voice, and now her tears were falling freely from her cheeks.

How did she figure it out? She wasn't supposed to know! Not now. Ash looked around from something that could give him away and he saw his backpack with his things scattered around the campfire. Of course, she jumped at the first opportunity to find out something about him. It's just who she is. _„Why can't you let some things be a mystery, Cynthia."_ thought Ash sadly.

„Cynthia..." he began but was interrupted again.

„Why?" Cynthia asked more forcefully, with her eyes shut and her hands in fists, with nails digging deep inside her own palm.

„I..." began Ash, but he couldn't finish the sentence.

He couldn't take it, seeing Cynthia cry like that, trying so hard not to punch him in the face. The hurtful look she gave him was enough for his heart to stop for a moment, and not in a good sense. It is of no use. She knows. She hates him. And for a good reason. He let the whole world think he had died. They even made him a goddamned statue, a statue for a boy with a heart of gold they called it. _„What a fucking lie."_ he thought. Would a boy with a heart of gold cause a lovely girl like Cynthia cry and hate him so much? No. Would the boy with a heart of gold hurt her like this? No. Would the boy with a heart of gold lie to the whole world? No. He is no boy with a heart of gold.

„Go on, Cynthia. Tell me how horrible I am." said Ash in a defeated tone. He needed to hear it from someone. He wanted to hear it from someone.

Ash then got up, and with trembling legs, he stood up. Lucario immediately went to him to support his stand up, but Ash gestured for him to stop and that he has it under control. He then looked at Cynthia, and she had her watery eye open and was watching him with the widened eye.

„Do it. Let it out, Cynthia. Tell me. Tell me how horrible I am that I stole food from others." said Ash as he took a small step towards Cynthia.

„Tell me how horrible I am to let the Pokemon League build me a statue for thousands and thousands of pokedollars." said Ash, after another step with his gaze locked in Cynthia's eye.

„Tell me how horrible I am for making the whole world believe I had died." another step. Ash's voice was getting louder with every step.

„Tell me how horrible I am for making people all around the world spend money on flowers, candles and all of that for them to attend a fake funeral!" another step

„Tell me how horrible I am for making my friends, which whom I traveled across the Pokemon world with, believe that I had died!" another step.

„Tell me how horrible I am for making YOU believe that I died!" another step.

„Tell me how horrible I am for making MY OWN MOTHER bury her only child!" said Ash now eye to eye with Cynthia.

„TELL ME!" Ash lashed out in frustration with his deep voice.

Every pokemon in The Haven believed that he was doing the right thing. But is he? He can die and accomplish nothing. How heartbroken would his friends be when they would find out he lived? How heartbroken would his mom be when Mewtwo would show her his 16-year old body? How heartbroken would she be when she would find out that he survived and he didn't tell her. He may be trying to save the world, but he has hurt a lot of people in a process too. He hurt people that are precious to him, that's the worst thing about it.

Ash knelt down with his head hung low. „Please... Tell me. Tell me the truth." Ash said quietly with a trembling voice, with his eyes shut and all of his Pokemon eyes upon him. And just like that, Ash broke down. His tears started falling on the grass floor of the Haven as he was kneeling in front of Cynthia. So much for people who he loves to keep them from being hurt. He hurt them himself, and it was all for nothing. Can he even win at this point?

As he was kneeling there and thinking about all the horrible things he caused to his loved ones when he disappeared, a pair of arms wrapped around him, and just from the touch, he knew it was Cynthia.

„Ash... I don't think you are a horrible person, and I'm not mad at you... I mean. I am. A little. But more than angry, I am happy beyond description. So happy. You survived, Ash. You are alive! It's a dream come true! I just... I don't understand why you are in hiding. Why are you hiding from everyone? It doesn't make sense. You would never leave your friends and family like this." said Cynthia in a gentle voice in kneeling position, hugging Ash like her life was at stake. A huge tight enough to ensure that he will not leave again. It took a minute, but he calmed down from his break down and finally began talking again. _„Like an angel's touch..."_ he thought.

„What if I can't beat them?" asked Ash, ignoring the question and voicing his doubts out loud for the first time.

„Who?" asked Cynthia as she broke the hug and looked at Ash into his blue aura filled eyes. Both of them finally stopped the tears from forming in their eyes by now.

„Team Rocket. What if they catch me again? What if they succeed? What chances do I have against an army of Psychics?"

„Team Rocket? Army of Psychics?!" asked Cynthia in disbelief.

„Yes..." Ash said in a quiet voice.

„Ash... Are you fighting Team Rocket again? Alone? Why?" asked Cynthia again.

„I have to Cynthia. I am the only one who can stop them." said Ash.

„That's not an answer." said Cynthia.

 _„He was given this task by Arceus, lady Shirona."_ said Mewtwo.

Ash even forgot that Mewtwo was here as he broke down and let his frustration burst. And not just Mewtwo. All the Pokemon were watching the scene before them without a single word spoken.

„Arceus?! Arceus tasked you with this?! How did you manage to get involved with the GOD?! Again?" asked a surprised Cynthia.

„I would like to know as well." said Ash.

 _„Ash is the Arceus's Chosen One. It is his destiny from the day he was born to erase the evils of the Pokemon world."_ said Mewtwo.

„Chosen One... That's how the girl from Orange Islands referred to you during your... funeral." said Cynthia and she unsurely said the last word.

„Yeah. The Orange Island encounter with Lugia was an unbelievable experience." said Ash and he took a glance at the legendary bipedal Pokemon recalling another unbelievable experience where he nearly died. A short silence filled the cave until Cynthia spoke again.

„Why didn't you ask us for help? You know that we would do anything to help you? Right?" asked Cynthia.

„I know. And that is exactly why you know nothing. And I would like to keep it that way. At least for now." said Ash.

„What do you mean?" asked Cynthia.

„Cynthia. You saw it with your very own eyes. Team Rocket is not an ordinary criminal organization. They walk through corpses, and they don't care about their names. They would have killed you without hesitation when they discovered me in your house too. Champion or not, they don't care. As soon as I destroyed their first base, I became their target and they will stop at nothing to get rid of me, by any means. If there was just a slight whisper around that I am associated with you, mom, or even Pallet Town, they would get to me through the people I care about. That's why I don't want any of my friends and family to be even associated with someone who is trying to take them down after 3 years of preparation." said Ash looking in Cynthia's eye.

Now Ash has finally a chance to examine Cynthia's eye. Grey isn't a very common eye color and many people don't even like it that very much. But her eye have a color of a smoke. No. Not exactly smoke he thought. It was darker than a smoke. The eye had the color of ash.

„You could have told your mom at least." said Cynthia sadly.

„I wanted to. I still do. I want to let my mom know I am alive. But. If I would have showed up in my mom's house and somebody saw me, she would be in danger, and I don't want to risk it." said Ash.

„Aren't you a little paranoid? I am sure if you would show in the middle of a night, nobody would find out." asked Cynthia.

„With Team Rocket, there is no such thing as being paranoid. They have eyes everywhere." said Ash.

 _„Ash, I am happy that you found your soulmate, but we need to talk to you right now."_ said Lucario to Ash in pokespeech. Ash blushed and immediately replied.

„What do you mean by soulmate, Lucario?!" asked Ash and he looked at Lucario.

„Soulmate?" asked a curious Cynthia.

„I am sure he is joking." replied Ash nervously with a chuckle, and he looked back at Cynthia.

 _„I am not. The mark on your abdomen is the same as the one lady Shirona has. Then there is the thing when you two touch the marks begin pulsating simultaneously. And even throughout this serious conversation I can sense how you two have desire for each other."_ said Lucario seriously in pokespeech.

„See? I told you he was joking." said Ash to Cynthia. Thank Arceus Cynthia doesn't understand pokespeech. However Lucario than slapped Ash to show his displeasure with his trainer.

„Doesn't look like he is joking." chuckled Cynthia when she saw the light slap Lucario gave Ash.

„Lucario. I wouldn't do this again if I were you, or I will reveal your secret to your soul mate." said Ash, as he rubbed his cheek. The slap wasn't hard, but it wasn't pleasant either. Lucario blushed at this, but it didn't end there.

 _„Secret? Everybody knows he has hots for G..."_ began Weavile but was silenced by a panicking Lucario when he put his paws over her mouth so she couldn't speak.

 _„Okay. I get it. No more talking about soulmates, but back to the topic. We really need to show you something. You need to read the file we found. It's really important."_ said Lucario and he looked at Gardevoir who was watching this scene with a confused look.

„Fine, Lucario, Cynthia, If you would excuse me I have to look at something. Make yourself comfy and do whatever you want here. I'll be back shortly." said Ash, and Lucario pulled him up so he could stand up. Those few steps to Cynthia took a lot of his energy in this state. Cynthia wanted to help him, but before she could grab his other arm, Infernape appeared near him and supported Ash by his other arm. As they were taking Ash somewhere, Cynthia suddenly asked.

„Ash?" she asked.

„Yes?" he replied and his two Pokemon turned him around so he was facing her.

„Where do you go to a... toilet here?" asked Cynthia nervously.

„Usually it's that bush over there in the corner." he said to Cynthia and with his healthy arm he pointed towards a corner of the cave near the pond.

„A... bush?" asked Cynthia. „But. What if you want to... poop?" asked Cynthia.

„Same bush." replied Ash. And when he saw disgusted face of Cynthia he quickly added. „But don't worry. There aren't any there. Mewtwo teleports them out of here." said Ash.

 _„Please, don't remind me..."_ said Mewtwo.

„And... toilet paper?" asked Cynthia and she nervously awaited the answer.

„I stopped using a toilet paper few months after my 14 birthday to decrease the debt I have to everyone I stole from. I use big leaves that grow inside this cave." said Ash without any hint of shame.

„L... Leaves? Are you serious?" asked Cynthia.

„I live in a cave with not a single pokedollar. What did you expect, Cynthia? A five star hotel?" said Ash with a chuckle.

* * *

 _„Faster Charizard, You have to go faster, buddy!" yelled a black haired man covered in a black hood on top of a orange dragon flying through the skies of the Johto region._

 _„RAAAAAAR." roared the dragon and Charizard put all of his efforts into the flight._

 _However, it wasn't easy. A few minutes ago, rain broke through the skies and slowed Charizard down. The man then reached into his jacket and pulled a phone out. He scrolled through his contacts and called a certain number. The phone rang a few times but then somebody picked it up on the other side._

 _„I got it! I discovered their HQ and I know what their plan is! I already sent pictures of the maps to you in an email so check it out. I am currently above Blue Moon Falls and I am on my way back, but I don't know if we'll make it. There is an entire army of them behind us. I need help. Their plan is..." but the man was cut off when two Ninjasks came out of nowhere and used their X-Scissors on Charizard and since Ninjasks are one of the fastest Pokemon, Charizard didn't manage to dodge the attack. The impact caused the man to drop not only his phone into the lake below them, but the maps that were attached to his belt fell down too. „Damn." thought the Charizard rider when he saw the items falling down into the water._

 _Charizard, not being in the best condition already, was now falling into the lake that was created by the waterfall._

 _„Charizard!" yelled the man, who was holding onto Charizard as they fell._

 _Charizard's eyes then shot open and he spread his mighty wings and flew upright seconds before they were about to fall into the water below. The man then saw the two Ninjasks preparing to attack once again._

 _„Charizard, heads up and use Fire Blast!" yelled the man._

 _As instructed, the Charizard raised his head up and used Fire Blast. However, the two Ninjasks managed to dodge the attack and were ready to use X-Scissor again. The man on top of Charizard gave another command seeing they were about to collide._

 _„Charizard, Steel Wing!"_

 _And as the two Ninjasks were about to hit the Charizard due to their incredible speed, Charizard's wings turned white, and with each wing he smacked the Ninjasks into the lake below them._

 _„Go, Charizard. Go!" yelled the man, and the Pokemon and human duo was again on the run._

 _And a tired Charizard flew in the direction of a big mountain. However, his speed was decreasing drastically due to the previous fights._

 _„You are amazing, buddy. Just hang on a little longer." said the man as he petted Charizard's bruised head._

 _They slowly flew through the light rain that was going on. After a minute, they heard a buzzing sound, and this time a Scizor came from below using an Iron Head and he hit Charizard right in the belly. This time, both the man and the Pokemon fell from the sky before either of them could say anything. They fell into the clearing near the lake of Blue Moon Falls. The force of the impact threw the man off Charizard and he painfully landed on the hard ground. Charizard lied a few meters away from the man, however, unlike the man, Charizard was and slowly pulled himself up. And as Scizor was diving for another attack on Charizard, the orange dragon looked at his trainer for command, but he was just beginning to pull himself up. So Charizard, without a command, surrounded himself in flames and flew towards Scizor. And as he took off, these flames turned blue and with a powerful Flare Blitz, he collided with Scizor's Metal Claw. And as they collided, Charizard grabbed Scizor by his pincers and threw him into the ground. Then, he continued with a Flare Blitz attack and pinned the Scizor into the ground with Flare Blitz._

 _Charizard panting heavily flew out of the small crater he created and he went to the man as he received some recoil damage from the powerful attack he used against Scizor._

 _„Good job, buddy." replied the trainer who was now standing on his legs. And as he was about to jump on Charizard's back, he saw a helicopter with two Dragonite's on each side flying to them. Not only that, Scizor was slowly pulling himself up from the crater too._

 _When the man took a closer look at Charizard, he knew Charizard couldn't fight anymore. He already defeated so many Pokemon during today's mission that it was a miracle he was still standing. As a matter of fact, it was a miracle that his tail was still on fire when even the weather was against them. „Charizard, return." said the trainer and grabbed a pokeball from his belt and he recalled Charizard, despite Charizard's loud protests._

 _Right after that, a man with a red R on his uniform emerged from the forest and ran to him trying to punch him in the stomach. The man in a black hood just did a small sidestep, grabbed the attackers hand and twisted it behind his back. And right after this, another man with a red R on the uniform jumped out from the forest trying to punch him, so he let go of the first man's arm, he turned around and he punched the second man in the face and with a quick round kick, he kicked the first man into the stomach, giving him an opening for the escape._

 _However, as he was preparing to run away, more and more men emerged from the forests, but now with guns in their hands. 15 men in total created a circle, surrounding the hooded man with their guns charged up and ready to shoot. With no way to escape, the hooded man put his hands behind his head and knelt down._

 _The helicopter was slowly approaching his position and in a few minutes, it landed in front of him. The black-hooded man wanted to cover his eyes as the propeller caused gushes of wind with small raindrops hit his face. The engine then finally stopped, and a man in an orange suit stepped out of it. There was a young girl right beside him holding an umbrella so they wouldn't get soaked walking right beside him._

 _„You are in big trouble. You know that?" said the man in the early thirties with short brown hair, dressed in an orange suit. Despite saying this, the man in a black hood didn't answer. In fact, he didn't even look at the man in an orange suit._

 _The man in an orange suit than did a gesture with his hands, and one of the grunts came towards the black hooded man, and the grunt took some handcuffs and handcuffed the man. Then the grunt looked at Giovanni, and he only nodded. And so the grunt pulled his hood down, revealing the face of a man._

 _What surprised Giovanni, was that the man wore a cap under his hood. A red and white cap, that was covering his face. So Giovanni still hadn't had the pleasure to see the face of a man that is trying to ruin his plans._

 _The man in an orange suit with the blonde girl then came to the kneeling man. The man then knelt down in front of his enemy and was now face to face with him._

 _„How about we introduce ourselves? My name is Giovanni." said Giovanni, but the man didn't answer._

 _„Now it's your turn." said Giovanni. Then some grunt put the gun against the kneeling man's head._

 _„Red. My name is Red." said the kneeling man._

 _„Another one. How annoying." said Giovanni with an uncomfortable chuckle at the end._

 _„What do you mean by that?" asked Red._

 _„You think that I don't know about Pokemon Rangers and their stupid nicknames?" said Giovanni._

 _„How?" asked surprised Red._

 _„After some harsh convincing, your pal 'Blue' told me about Pokemon Rangers and their tendency to give their field rangers color nicknames." said Giovanni._

 _„Blue?! Where is he?!" exclaimed Red and he tried to jump at Giovanni, but the grunt that handcuffed him stopped him by hitting him in face._

 _„Few meters underground." said Giovanni. Red's eyes widened and changed color from chestnut brown to a mixture of brown and glowing sea blue. Red growled in anger at hearing such news and light blue flames formed around him. The flames got bigger and bigger with each passing second. Giovanni's shocked expression put a smile on Red's face even though he himself couldn't control the aura flames._

 _However, when Red received a hit with the back of the gun to his neck, the menacing blue flames disappeared._

 _„I'll be damned! You are an Aura Guardian?! Huh. You are going to be very useful to me." said Giovanni with an uncomfortable smile._

 _„Like I would ever work for you." said Red and he spat into Giovanni's face. Giovanni released an unpleasant grunt and motioned to the blonde girl to give him something to wipe the spit on his left cheek._

 _„Who said anything about working?" said Giovanni calmly as he wiped the spit._

 _„Now. I believe that you stole something that doesn't belong to you, so where is the map with the location of my bases you stole?" asked Giovanni._

 _„I am afraid I don't know what you are talking about, Giovanni." said Red with a cheeky smile._

 _„Don't lie to me. I hate liars." said Giovanni._

 _„I am telling the truth. Go on and search for my clothing. You would do it sooner or later regardless. But you won't find any map there." said Red._

 _And they indeed found nothing except for a few pokeballs. Red was left there in blue trunks, and a dozen grunts were tearing his clothing apart desperately for any sign of the paper map._

 _„Now. Could you at least give me back what is left of my red and white jacket before I will freeze here?" said Red with a cheeky smile. When they finished the search. Most of his clothes were in shreds, but they didn't destroy his jacket. Not to the point it couldn't be worn at least. One of the sleeves was gone, and there was a slash from a knife across the top half. Still wearable. Especially when it's raining and its cold._

 _„What did you do with the map?" asked Giovanni._

 _„Nothing. I never had it in a first place." said Red._

 _„Really?" Giovanni asked._

 _„Yes." replied Red._

 _„You think I am completely stupid? The map is gone from my office and somebody saw you around the cave where the entrance to my HQ is. Doesn't seem like a coincidence to me." said Giovanni and the grunt holding a gun at Red's head pressed the gun against his head harder._

 _„Okay. Okay. Maybe I stole it, but I really don't have any of the maps." said Red. And when Giovanni was getting ready to say something, police sirens were heard in a distance which brought a smile to Red's face._

 _„Huh. Seems like we will have to postpone our talk. Bring him into the helicopter. Let's see how long you last in a special room established for getting information out of people." said Giovanni._

 _Red's eyes widened when he heard Giovanni's statement. He saw what they do to 'problematic' people when he infiltrated the HQ. And when he felt how the grunt with a gun pointed at his head tried to make Red stand up, Red, without a second thought, and with handcuffed hands quickly grabbed the man's gun against pointed against his head, dismantle the grunt, and with a low kick he made the grunt trip._

 _But, before he could do anything else, five grunts shot from their guns, and 3 bullets hit him during the maneuver. Two in the left leg, and one into his stomach. Right where the lung is. Red let out a harsh breath and fell to the ground coughing some blood._

 _„Goddamnit. You just have to cause problems don't you?" said Giovanni to Red. It was a shame. He knew that now._

 _Police sirens grew louder and louder with each passing second. And this little trick he pulled of delayed them a lot. Especially if they wanted to transport him back to the HQ for the torture. That is not an option if he is going to resist and delay them even further. But they can't let him go either. He knows valuable information about them, that Team Rocket can't allow to being known. There is only one option left._

 _Giovanni himself then pulled his gun out and pointed it at Red's head. Shame. He will never get a chance to examine another Aura Guardian._

 _„You should have went with us willingly. The stunt you performed will cost you your life." said Giovanni as he prepared to fire a bullet, but Red somehow managed to kneel, look into Giovanni's eyes and start talking in unhealthy voice because of his pierced lung._

 _„... I know. But... at least let me... say some last words." said an injured Red, dealing with the fact, that this rainy day will be his last day on this planet. Giovanni didn't fire, so he took it as a yes and tried to speak._

 _„This... You are not going to get away with it. I know you won't. It may not be me who will bring you down, but someone eventually will. Your Psychic army. They will fail. Just like thousands of years ago, Aura Guardians will rise against Psychics. Even if there are not many of us now, I know that they will come and stop you. And even if only one Aura Guardian will fight against you, he will prevail. He will be stronger than you could ever imagine. Because. Where the evil is, Aura Guardians are there to oppose it. That's why you are doomed to fail, Giovanni. And when you think you have already won and you will think nothing could stop you, an Aura Guardian will come and the day of reckoning will come with him." said Red, looking at Giovanni with a few pauses between sentences to cough some blood out._

 _„Huh. I didn't know you were a prophet too. Shame you couldn't see your own death to avoid it." said Giovanni sarcastically. And he pointed the gun to Red's head._

 _„I am sorry, my darling. I am sorry, my little Pokemon Master. Take care of each other." whispered Red to himself as he looked at the ground and waited for death to come for him._

 _And on a rainy evening, a shot heard throughout Blue Moon Falls ending a life of one courageous Pokemon Ranger and a former Champion of Kanto region. But more importantly, the shot ended a life of a loving husband and father._

* * *

„Dad." Ash whispered.

Ash just finished reading the 'RED' file his Pokemon gave him. When Lucario said he needed to read a file he didn't expect this. Maybe some file with the location of another base. Or if he got lucky, some kind of file concerning the Team Rocket HQ location.

The thing that solidified that Team Rocket killed his father was the picture in the file, not the actual description of that day.

Giovanni didn't describe the mission in the file with many details. But the place of death was a nice clue. He now knew where his father was killed. It was where the police found his dad's body with a hole in the head. Blue Moon Falls in Johto.

Then there was the fact he was flying on a Charizard. Dad's favorite and strongest Pokemon. And just like Ash's own, this was no ordinary Charizard. When the mission report revealed that the Charizard of said man defeated two Dragonite's in the Team Rocket HQ, then an Alakazam and Rhydon on their way out, it was another solid clue, but it didn't stop there. During the chase in rain, he defeated 2 Ninjasks and a Scizor. Another great clue.

And a then there was the photo. There was a reason why this file caught Ash's Charizard's attention despite Charizards inability to read. It was like Ash was looking into a 3-year-old mirror. He may not look like his dad now, but he sure did look like him before the Aura training caused massive changes in his body. Messy short black hair. Brown eyes. Slightly tanned skin with Z marks on cheeks. And to add more similarities to them, his dad wore a cap too. That's how Richard Ketchum looked like. Or Red, as Team Rocket knows him.

 _„Crying for a second time today. God, I am pathetic."_ thought Ash as a single tear escaped his eye with a scar and rolled down his cheek. Ash still couldn't tear his gaze from the photo of his father in the file. It was a long time since he last saw him. A very long time.

And when he did tear his eyes from the photo, Ash read the part of a mission report where his dad said his last words to Giovanni again. The part where he told Giovanni that his plan would never work. Ash didn't know if the part, where his father was talking about the Aura Guardian that will defeat him in the future, is about him or not, but he had a feeling his father was truly talking about him. He has a feeling that his father entrusted him with this task long before Arceus gave him this mission.

He admired his father even more now. He was a true hero in his eyes, and he died like one too. It is thanks to him, he could even begin taking those bases down. If not for him, he may never have even found the bases in a first place.

„Dad. I will not let you down. I will finish, what you've started." said Ash with a new found confidence. And with a new found anger for the organization too. He didn't hate Giovanni as much as he hated Domino. But now, those two were on an equal footing. So much rage is boiling in him for the organization that he even considered killing the two people he hated the most. But, he quickly shook those thoughts off. He is no murderer, he thought. Even if those two deserve it like no one else.

Although, he may not kill them, he will make sure that they will never hurt or even think about hurting another human or Pokemon ever again.

* * *

 **Author's note: A lot of things happened and questions I lay down throughout the story are finally getting answered. So first.**

 **Cynthia found out who the mysterious Aura Guardian is. I wanted to let Ash's identity be secret for a little longer, but there is no way Cynthia wouldn't puzzle it out with all the Pokemon in The Haven. She is really smart and deductive after all, so it wouldn't make sense to keep her in the dark about that.**

 **Ash had a little breakdown, but I think it's justified. The kid suffered a lot during the past days and he is in constantly questioning if he can defeat Team Rocket. Not to mention he is aware how he hurt the people he cares about. Plus the torture. It was only a matter of time.**

 **And Red. I think it was clear as soon as I let Charizard pull that file from the rubles of the Hoenn base that they are the same person. If not. Then I hope you like that little surprise.**

 **Anyway, next chapter Ash will question Team Rocket grunts that are in a cave, he will be trying to get back into back into action with a staff and you will see Steven's expedition to Mount Coronet and what he discovered.**

 **That's all from me. Faptime's out.**

 **Ash's Pokemon in The Haven and their moveset:**

 **Pikachu (Male) – Thunder, Quick Attack, Iron Tail, Volt Tackle**

 **Luxray (Female) – Thunder Fang, Crunch, Volt Switch, Wild Charge**

 **Bulbasaur (Male) – Vine Whip, Razor Leaf, Leech Seed, Solar Beam**

 **Meganium (Female) – Grassy Terrain, Magical Leaf, Vine Whip, Petal Dance**

 **Sceptile (Male) – Leaf Storm, Solar Beam, Leaf Blade, Double Team**

 **Torterra (Male) – Leaf Storm, Energy Ball, Rock Climb, Synthesis**

 **Feraligatr (Male) – Ice Fang, Crunch, Slash, Bulldoze**

 **Crawdaunt (Male) – Bubble Beam, Knock Off, Vice Grip, Harden**

 **Kingler (Male) – Water Gun, Metal Claw, Crabhammer, Hyper Beam**

 **Floatzel (Male) - Aqua Jet, Hydro Pump, Sonic Boom, Ice Punch**

 **Milotic (Female) – Aqua Tail, Water Pulse, Scald, Twister,**

 **Torkoal (Male) - Heat Wave, Overheat, Iron Defense. Rock Slide**

 **Typhlosion (Female) – Flamethrower, Eruption, Aerial Ace, Swift**

 **Infernape (Male) – Overheat, Flare Blitz, Mach Punch, Dig**

 **Charizard (Male) – Flamethrower, Dragon Rage, Dragon Tail, Seismic Toss**

 **Noctowl (Male) – Confusion, Sky Attack, Air Slash, Extrasensory**

 **Swellow (Male) – U-Turn, Roost, Aerial Ace, Double Team**

 **Staraptor (Male) – Quick Attack, Wing Attack, Brave Bird, Close Combat**

 **Tauros x30 (Males) – Fissure, Take Down, Horn Attack, Zen Headbutt**

 **Snorlax (Male) – Ice Punch, Rest, Hyper Beam, Body Slam**

 **Donphan (Male) – Rollout, Earthquake, Take Down, Hyper Beam**

 **Gliscor (Male) – X-Scissor, Fire Fang, Giga Impact, Stone Edge**

 **Heracross (Male) – Megahorn, Sleep Talk, Focus Punch, Hyper Beam**

 **Muk (Male) – Sludge Bomb, Body Slam, Mud Bomb, Acid Spray**

 **Toxicroak (Male) – Sludge Wave, Poison Jab, Sucker Punch, Low Sweep**

 **Glalie (Male) – Ice Beam, Shadow Ball, Protect, Crunch**

 **Garchomp (Male) – Dig, Slash, Dragon Rush, Draco Meteor**

 **Sableye (Male) – Shadow Ball, Power Gem, Will-O-Wisp, Detect**

 **Lucario (Male) – Aura Sphere, Blaze Kick, Bone Rush, Force Palm**

 **Metagross (Genderless) - Meteor Mash, Gyro Ball, Psychic, Flash Cannon**

 **Aggron (Male) – Metal Claw, Metal Sound, Iron Head, Thunderbolt**

 **Weavile (Female) – Night Slash, Metal Claw, Hidden Power, Blizzard**

 **Absol (Female) – Night Slash, Razor Wind, Attract, Fire Blast**

 **Tyranitar (Female) – Stone Edge, Earthquake, Dark Pulse, Dragon Claw**

 **Gardevoir (Female) – Teleport, Light Screen, Calm Mind, Heal Pulse**

 **Mewtwo (Male) – Psystrike, Psychic, Dream Eater, Hypnosis**

 **That's it for now.**

 **Reviews are appreciated.**


	21. Back from the dead: Limerence

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Pokemon or any of these characters. (Except the mountain-climbers)**

 **Author's note: After a looooooong pause, here is another chapter.**

 **And readers? Are you still there? Where are the reviews? I expected the last chapter to have much more reviews and I was rather disappointed when only 4 came out. I hope you will improve in this chapter.**

 **So a new beta-reader was found. Yay! His name here on this site is YoungsterAustin and he seems really passionate about this story, so I hope he will be the last beta I will have to search for.**

 **SHOUT-OUT TO YoungsterAustin. I AM GRATEFUL THAT HE TOOK HIS TIME WITH THIS CHAPTER AND RAN THROUGH IT. THANK YOU!**

"classic conversation"

" _thoughts/telepathy"_

" **radio"**

 **That is all for now. Enjoy.**

* * *

 **XVII. Back from the dead: Limerence**

"Hmpfmm.." mumbled a Team Rocket grunt as he was tiredly waking up.

His head felt like it has been hit by a rampaging Rhydon. When the pain in his head subdued, a cold breeze welcomed him. Now with eyes shot open, he saw a lone figure standing before him. A tall figure dressed in a cloak shrouded in darkness slowly approached him. He tried to stand up and get out of there, but he was tied up against a wall.

"Your HQ. Where is it." said the man in front of him as he knelt to the eye level of the grunt.

"And why would I tell you that?" asked the grunt with a chuckle.

The lone bearded man than pointed to his left. There lied his coworkers covered in bruises on a grassy floor of a poorly lit cave.

"You... You did that?" asked the grunt nervously.

"Your HQ. Where. Is. It." asked the man now slowly with emphasis on every word.

"They didn't tell you..." mumbled the grunt as he looked at his beat-up comrades.

"..." the cloaked man didn't reply, but he grabbed the grunts finger and began to bend it into an unnatural angle.

"Time's up." said the cloaked man as the finger began to crack and the grunt started to yell. "STOP! PLEASE STOP!"

"Did you stop when innocent women begged you?" replied the man when he stopped for a moment.

"I... It was the boss. He said we should torture them!" yelled the man as his finger was still bent and nearly broken.

"And? If someone told me that I should do this to you how does it differ?" asked the man as he applied a slight pressure to his finger to receive another squeal from the man.

"I-" began the grunt but was interrupted.

"You did unspeakable things to those poor humans. Just like your coworkers. It's sickening. All of you torture people for fun, but you can't even imagine what it's like to be at the other end. Do you?" asked the cloaked man.

"How does it feel? To be helpless, and at the mercy of some twisted man. Tell me." said the man, still holding the grunt's finger, in a scary deep voice that sent shivers through the grunt's whole body.

"T...t... terrifying." stuttered out the grunt honestly. Suddenly a crack was heard and the grunts finger broke. A loud yell echoed through the cave until the cloaked man asked again.

"That was one. We still have 9 more to go." said the man.

"Okay! I'll tell you!" yelled out the grunt in pain. But the man didn't stop and grabbed another finger with his right hand.

"5 kilometers southwest from Pallet Town! There is a cave hidden behind dozens of vines from the biggest tree in the area! Now let me go!" yelled out the grunt.

"Why should I?" asked the hooded man.

"I- I told you what you have wanted!" said the grunt desperately.

"Although it's nice of you, I never said you will be released. You need to be punished for your sins." said the hooded man as another finger began to crack.

"I'm sorry! I am sorry! I will never do it again! Please just stop!" yelled the grunt as he felt his second finger on the verge of being broken. His squirming didn't help to alleviate the pain, so he tried to remain still.

"You better be. If I see you hurting another human or a Pokemon like this again, I will finish what we have started here." said the cloaked man as he broke the grunts second finger. But the yell from him was never heard because a white glowing fist collided with grunt's cheeks sending him through the cave and the cloaked man turned around and walked off with the Pokemon who delivered the blow that knocked the grunt out.

* * *

"Was that really necessary, Ash?" asked Cynthia.

"Yes. They deserved that and much more." said Ash.

" _That was truly terrifying."_ said Lucario in a pokespeech.

"As it should be. I would have continued if it didn't disgust me so much." said Ash.

They all witnessed the whole thing. The whole cave was watching Ash interrogate the grunts from afar, where the light couldn't reach them. Ash made sure that the cave would not be lit up and the only source of light would be near the wall where the Team Rocket grunts were. And even from afar, it was not a pleasant sight to watch Ash doing this thing to every single Team Rocket grunt, even when he obtained the information he wanted from the very first grunt.

"Mewtwo?" asked Ash.

" _Yes."_ answered the feline Pokemon who emerged from the darkness.

"I know you can wipe memories out, but can you alter them?" asked Ash curiously.

" _I don't know myself. Never tried it."_ replied Mewtwo.

"You want to alter their memories?" asked Cynthia.

"Yes. I need more time." replied Ash.

 _"More time?"_ mumbled Lucario with a paw below his chin as he was trying to figure out on what his trainer is thinking.

"Yes, Lucario. My healing process will take some time to finish. I may heal fast, but I am no pokemon to get healed immediately. And..." said Ash looking at his missing hand.

"I need to find a way to fight without my hand." said Ash as he put his hand behind the cloak that was covering his arm.

"All of this will take some time, and I need to ensure that they will not move their HQ somewhere else. I do not want Team Rocket to make any rash decisions as I will be recovering. I need them to stay where they are and suspect nothing." continued Ash.

"... You want them to think they killed you." said Cynthia.

"Not just me. Us." replied Ash.

"Do you think it will be believable?" asked Ash and he looked at the blonde haired beauty.

"Who? Me?" asked Cynthia getting caught up in this question. Ash has been pretty decisive so far and his word is basically the law. Not that she minded. His decisions so far were good. Not perfect, as was seen just a while ago, but still relatively good and reasonable. So it surprised her that he wanted her opinion.

"I am looking at you, am I not?" said Ash, sarcastically with a chuckle.

"I.. I don't know." said Cynthia with a tiny blush. " _Just this little jab makes me like this? And I am supposed to live with him here for the time being. How am I going to survive this?!"_ she thought when she registered the heat on her cheeks.

Cynthia looked at Ash and he was still awaiting for her answer. So, would his death be believable? Second death at that. Hmmm. Why would it not? Her villa is thrashed, bloodstains on the bed sheets, and a massive amount of bullets in her bedroom. Well, if they find the blood stained towels and the changed bandage, there might be some questions. And if the Team Rocket grunts' memories will be altered in the right way, then it should be no problem. The blonde woman that was teleported out of there will not remember much so they should be good to go, if Mewtwo will do his part.

"I... I think yes. Yes, it would be."

 _"Would?"_ asked Mewtwo.

"Uhm... Mewtwo, was it?" asked Cynthia as she looked at the bipedal Pokemon.

" _Yes, lady Shirona?"_ replied Mewtwo.

"It would be if we improve the plan a little. Could you teleport back to my house?" asked Cynthia.

" _Of course. But what for?"_ asked Mewtwo without any hint of emotions as was normal for him.

"I think we need to get rid of the blood stained towels and the old bandage that is in a trash bin to make our death more believable for Team Rocket. Maybe you could add some red splashes onto the bedroom walls so it would strike the police as some kind of massacre." said Cynthia.

"Great idea, Cynthia!" said Ash.

Out of nowhere, Pikachu, with a small notebook and a pencil, came to his side and gave Ash the notebook. Ash opened the notebook and gave it to Lucario, who was holding it in front of Ash so he could grab the pencil from Pikachu and start to write into the notebook with one hand as Lucario was holding it.

"What is that for Ash?" asked Cynthia curiously, slightly raising an eyebrow at Ash who was writing inside the notebook.

"Nothing really. Hey Cynthia. How much does a bucket of red paint cost?" asked Ash.

"Hmm... around one thousand pokedollars." replied Cynthia with a finger below her chin, deep in thought.

Ash then scribbled something into the notebook, which was tied up in a brown leather, and gave said notebook and pencil to Pikachu who took it somewhere where Cynthia's eyes couldn't see. " _What was that for?"_ she thought.

" _And he should really light the cave up again."_ she added when she looked around the dark cave.

"Great. So Mewtwo, you heard Cynthia. Go and make sure our deaths are believable. You are an expert on that after all." said Ash.

Mewtwo gave Ash a displeased frown and teleported out of The Haven. Sometimes, Ash's sarcasm is too much even for him. But at least he is slowly reverting back to his former self.

"Mewtwo wait!" said Cynthia as she saw the bipedal Pokemon getting ready to teleport out of here.

" _Anything else, lady Shirona?"_ asked Mewtwo.

"Well... Since you'll be at my house. Could you bring me some clothes? I think I will have to stay here for a while." said Cynthia.

If it was anyone else, then she might freak out. Having to stay with a stranger in a cave alone for God knows how long would not be a pleasant experience. However, its Ash. And even the lack of toilet paper will not make her run away from him and leave his side. He has to come back home. And she will do everything in her power to make sure he will get there once again.

"OK." said Mewtwo and teleported out of the cave.

A few minutes later Mewtwo came back. Mewtwo had only brought a few sets of clothes that Cynthia had in her wardrobe. When she asked why, he told her that bringing her whole wardrobe would raise questions. Even though she wanted to disagree, Mewtwo was right. So this will have to be enough clothes for her.

* * *

When the first evening came, Mewtwo teleported the grunts back to Cynthia's house with some altered memories. She didn't know what Mewtwo did to them, but according to Ash, it's not something she would want to know.

And the first night in the cave was pretty embracing for Cynthia to say at least. The good news was, that since Mewtwo stole a new cloak for Ash, she could now wear her bathrobe to sleep. Her black thin nightgown that she wore normally to bed was not suitable to be worn in front of Ash. The problem is, there are no beds. Just sleeping bags. One sleeping bag. Fortunately for her, Ash was kind enough to lend her his older one into which he could not stack himself into anymore, and it just so happened to be the perfect size for her. That would take care of that problem, but there was one thing Cynthia forgot about.

Ash's nightmares. A loud yell woke everyone up from their sleep and all of Ash's Pokemon gathered around Ash's 'room' and were looking at the boy in pain screaming for help. Lucario tried to calm him down through Aura, but it was no use. This nightmare was strong in Ash's mind and not even Lucario could manage to subdue Ash's fear.

Then Cynthia stepped in and calmed Ash with one touch. Again. Just like last time. The problem is, she has to be on Ash's side the whole night so the Pokemon and she, herself, could get some sleep. So she tried to explain to the Pokemon what happened before and how it works from what she could gather. The whole cave was whispering to each other, something in pokespeech, and some were even giggling. Suddenly, Pikachu with an evil smirk, walked to Mewtwo and told something to him which Mewtwo immediately translated.

" _Lady Shirona. We think that it would be best if you would get into the sleeping bag with Ash."_ said Mewtwo in his monotone voice.

"WHAT?!" exclaimed Cynthia.

" _You said it yourself, lady Shirona. Your touch calms him down, and to ensure that you will be touching him throughout the night, getting into the sleeping bag with him is the best option."_ replied Mewtwo.

"I- I- I can't!" exclaimed blushing Cynthia. Did Mewtwo have to phrase it like that? And yeah, she slept with him in the same bed, but being in the sleeping bag is totally different. Her bed is very spacious. Sleeping bags are not. And what would Ash say when he wakes up in the morning?

" _Why not?"_ asked Mewtwo.

"It's- It's wrong. I can't just sneak into his sleeping bag without him knowing it!" said Cynthia.

 _"I heard that people in love do those type of things with their mates. I see nothing wrong with you and Ash doing the same."_ said Mewtwo. The way Mewtwo is phrasing it was even more embarrassing for the blonde beauty so the blush on her cheeks intensified.

"I am not in love with him and I am not his mate!" yelled out Cynthia, frustratingly.

 _"Lady Shirona. Deny it all you want, but we know. I can read minds and Lucario can sense emotions. Don't think your thoughts about mating with our trainer didn't go unnoticed by me and Lucario. And I have to say, you have some pretty interesting thoughts about mating, lady Shirona. I have never seen ropes used in such a way. Not to men-"_ said Mewtwo.

"S-Shut up!" yelled out an angry and embarrassed Cynthia, now red as a tomato, who was still touching Ash's sleeping cheeks to subdue the nightmare.

" _Did I cross some boundary?"_ asked Mewtwo cluelessly to the other Pokemon around them. The response to that was all the Pokemon in the cave had begun laughing hysterically.

Blushing, Cynthia focused on Ash and not on the laughter of his Pokemon. His face covered in sweat with a painful expression on his face again _. "Will he ever forget it?"_ thought Cynthia. Cynthia gulped loudly when she thought about being in the same sleeping bag with Ash. She would feel EVERYTHING. It was so wrong, but yet it felt so right. Sleeping right next to him, in his arms and wake up just a few centimeters from his face.

" _No. I can't."_ thought Cynthia.

" _Yes you can."_ said Mewtwo.

She turned to face the bipedal Pokemon and he spoke again. " _Stop dreaming and take some actions, lady Shirona. Your fantasies, as weird as they are, can become reality. The first step is to help Ash and get into the sleeping bag with him."_ said Mewtwo.

Take some action. Easy for him to say. It's not that easy. But, it is to help him. The fact that her fantasies crossed with actually helping Ash is just a mere coincidence Cynthia tried to reassure herself.

"... I will do it under one condition." declared Cynthia.

" _What do you want, lady Shirona?"_ asked Mewtwo.

"Don't read my thoughts." said Cynthia.

" _I can't promise that. But if it's about the things I said earlier, then I can promise you that I will keep your thoughts to myself."_ said Mewtwo.

"I guess that will have to do..." said Cynthia with a sigh. Well, at least she tried. She can't really demand anything in her position from Ash's Pokemon. Mewtwo is probably just worried she would do something to Ash, so that's why he is reading her thoughts anyway. She knows Mewtwo is rather protective of Ash. And angering him would be a bad idea.

* * *

For some reason, Ash's sleeping bag felt really tight this cold morning. And before Ash opened his eyes, he could feel that his hands were tightly holding something and pressing it against his body. When he opened his eyes, Ash thought that he was still dreaming.

Cynthia, dressed in her bathrobe, was right next to him and she had her head snuggled into Ash's neck. Ash's hand was holding her waist and the arm without a hand was hugging the blonde haired beauty around her stomach.

" _OK. This has to be a dream."_ thought Ash.

However, there is a little problem with this supposed dream. Actually, it is a pretty big one. Being the morning, and having Cynthia so close to him, caused little Ash to wake up too. And it did not look like his manhood was going to sleep anytime soon with Cynthia's chest pressed against his own.

Ash tried to close his eyes and not to focus on Cynthia next to him. However, the Aura sense kicked in and he could see Cynthia again. Now even in more detail. Not to mention the incredible amount of warmth he was feeling again from her. The warmth she enchanted him with once. Feeling it from up close was indescribable. And overwhelming. Ash had to open his eyes or he would really get addicted to it.

When Ash's knight rose up fully, as much as he tried not to, it began poking Cynthia's waist. And as much as he tried to get his morning wood away from Cynthia, due to its length, it was impossible.

A few days ago he would get embarrassed and not look Cynthia in the eye if this happened. Who is he kidding, just her being in his sleeping bag would cause him to not talk to her due to the embarrassment. However, things are different now. Broken people like Ash hide their true self behind the mask. In Ash's case, it is a mask of a carefree attitude and sarcastic remarks in a much more frequent use than before. No one has to know that behind layers and layers of jokes, is a broken boy who will never fully recover from the week he had visited hell.

" _Not that I am complaining, but why is she even in my sleeping bag?"_ thought Ash.

She looks so beautiful. Ash was tempted to pet her head when she was lightly snoring against his chest. The snoring reminded him more of purring then snoring. She truly looked like a pet that sneaked into his sleeping bag, purring quietly in her sleep. What he would do for her, she can't even imagine. Whether it was because of his aura or not, he knew that if anything happened to her, nothing could stop his wrath. The feeling was so primitive and animalistic, that it even scared Ash slightly.

" _Hmm... vanilla."_ thought Ash when he inhaled Cynthia's scent. How can someone be so perfect?

He should have kissed her when he had a chance. He should ignore Mewtwo's comment and go for it. That was maybe the last chance he had to kiss her. The feeling of love is radiating from her as much as the warmth he once felt. But as with Lucario and Gardevoir, he can't tell if it's that kind of love, and even if the love she is feeling is for him. Why would she? He left them. And now he is a cripple and his body is full of scars. Who would really want him? But then again, she IS in his sleeping bag. Looking as peaceful as ever.

" _So, lady Shirona. What excuse will it be_?" thought Ash with a playful smirk. But really. Why is she here? She would never get into the sleeping bag with him out of all people, Right? She has her own sleeping bag. Maybe it was some prank by Ash's Pokemon. And when another poke from Ash's manhood came, Cynthia's eyes begin slowly opening.

"Am I that irresistible, Cynthia?" asked Ash playfully when the sleeping beauty woke up.

Cynthia's eyes shot open when she heard his deep voice so close to her ears, she jumped from the sleeping bag before even a trained fighter like Ash could register it.

"I- It's not like that!" said Cynthia. Red color flushed her cheeks while she waved her hands in denial all the while Ash slowly got up and sat down inside the sleeping bag.

"Of course it isn't" said Ash playfully.

"I swear!" exclaimed Cynthia. She was about to say something else, but someone walked up to them.

 _"Ash?"_ asked Lucario who appeared right next to Cynthia and in front of Ash, interrupting a moment between the two of them.

"Yes Lucario?" replied Ash. He is like an alarm clock. Always up before Ash and waking him up.

 _"Let's get to training after breakfast. The sooner you are on your feet the sooner we will be able to take Team Rocket down."_ said Lucario.

The sentence Lucario said conjured a big smile onto Ash's face. "Can't argue with that logic." said Ash. Soreness nearly left his body, and he feels that his wounds underneath his bandages are healed. It's not the perfect condition, but he survived training sessions in worst states.

"Yosh, Cynthia. Keep the sleeping bag warm for me. I will be back in a jiffy and we can continue." said Ash and he winked at Cynthia. Cynthia naturally turned red and looked away from Ash.

" _Maybe I overdid it with this one."_ thought Ash. He isn't very experienced with pretending to be someone else. Ash always spoke what was on his mind, and acted on it accordingly. Maybe that was a reason why some people considered him obnoxious when he was younger. But it seemed like Cynthia took the teasing well. Maybe she could handle more in the future.

"You can't train in this state, Ash!" yelled out Cynthia, snapping Ash out of his thoughts.

"Sure I can. Lucario had me train when I was worse than I am right now. Don't worry." said Ash calmly.

" _True that."_ Lucario added in pokespeech.

Still not perfectly healed, but it should be enough to start with the training. They will start with some new fighting stances anyway so it will not be that intense. Even with Lucario. But what of Cynthia? She is not someone who can stand in one place and do nothing for long periods of time. But he can't keep her company while he trains.

"Hey, I have an idea. Why don't you release your Pokemon and have a fight with mine in the meantime? I am curious how my Pokemon fare against the Champion of Kanto after three years of training." said Ash who was still sitting in the sleeping bag.

"Don't change the subject. I am not going to let you train in this state." said Cynthia, standing behind what she said.

"You think you can stop me, lady Shirona?" asked Ash teasingly while slowly raising up into a standing position. As soon as he stood up, Cynthia immediately turned around and Ash could see a glimpse of redness on her cheeks again.

"What's the matter, Cynthia?" asked Ash. He knows that Cynthia can get easily embarrassed when nudity is involved by now, but he is wearing a shirt and trunks. Nothing really revealing.

"You... are little TOO eager to get into the training Ash." said Cynthia, choosing her words very carefully.

It took some time before Ash realized what she was implying. He should have stayed inside the sleeping bag longer.

"Ooooh. Well. I can safely safe this is your doing. Not my excitement for training." said Ash. Maybe he went too far this time? A slap would be an appropriate reaction from Cynthia, so Ash waited if the slap or a punch will come. But it never did. Only a loud gulp was heard from her.

"A-Anyway. I still won't let you train in your state." Cynthia stuttered while still looking elsewhere and with her back at Ash.

"What will you do if I do go and train?" asked Ash curiously.

"I'll stop you." said Cynthia confidently, yet still not daring to look at Ash and his morning problem.

"That's very thoughtful of you, Cynthia. I appreciate that you are so worried about me, but don't try to stop me. I have already decided." said Ash.

Cynthia turned around, got behind Ash, and took his right arm and left arm and held his hands behind his back, gripping him as tightly as she could.

"Lucario, be reasonable and give me something to tie him up with. He can't train in this state." said Cynthia looking pleadingly at Lucario. Lucario just stood there the whole time and was watching the exchange between the two humans with a neutral look.

Ash had to chuckle at Cynthia's attempt to get him back into the sleeping bag. She is still worried about hurting him so she didn't dare to push him into the ground or anything that could hurt him more. The grip she is holding him is impressive, but nowhere near the level, she would need to stop him.

"Lucario. Do as she asked and get some rope. She will need them." said Ash calmly.

* * *

"Ash! I am going to say it one last time! Untie me or you'll regret it!" yelled a frustrated Cynthia, as she squirmed in the ropes of which Ash tied her with.

"Calm down, Cynthia. I will untie you as soon as we finish the training as I promised." said Ash, sitting in front of Cynthia with a sandwich in hand.

"Now be a good girl and open your mouth so I can feed you some breakfast." said Ash teasingly.

"No! I will not eat stolen food and I w...mmflmm" she started but as she was saying this Ash forced the sandwich into her mouth, silencing her protests. Ash could see she wanted to spit the sandwich out, but she was very hungry, so in the end, she swallowed it. They haven't eaten anything since yesterday morning. Everything was so hectic that they totally forgot about that, so now they were finally having breakfast. Well, more like Cynthia was forced to eat a stolen sandwich that Mewtwo brought this morning.

"There. Be a good girl and eat." said Ash teasingly as he petted her head, still with a sandwich in hand. Cynthia puffed her cheeks in frustration and tried to bite Ash, but being a trained fighter like himself, instead of biting Ash's hand, he pulled his hand away and instead, she bit the sandwich which Ash cleverly placed in the place where Cynthia had aimed to bite him.

"Now that's more like it. Just a few more bites." said Ash with a satisfied smile. Ash watched if Cynthia will swallow the piece of sandwich she bit into. It was the battle of stares, and in the end, hungry Cynthia lost and swallowed another bite.

"I hate you." mumbled Cynthia not really meaning it to which Ash chuckled.

This is certainly not how she imagined the first time being tied up by Ash. Which Mewtwo unfortunately already knew. Hopefully, Mewtwo will not make any remarks on her situation right now, since he is standing right beside Ash. She could not look Ash in the face if her dirty fantasy got out. Especially when he is teasing her every time he gets a chance.

"Well. If you would have been a good girl you could have a Pokemon battle. But since you are a bad girl you ended up getting tied up in my sleeping bag. It was your choice really." said Ash. Cynthia sighed at Ash's remark. She isn't going to get out of this, is she?

"Ash. Just promise me you will take it lightly, since you are still in no condition to train. I am truly worried that you could hurt yourself." said Cynthia sincerely, as she looked into the blue eyes of Ash. This time Ash's smile wasn't the teasing one but one of his sincere smiles.

"I will." he said sincerely.

"Let's make a deal. You eat the sandwich and I will not overdo my training. Deal?" asked Ash, smiling.

"Deal." answered smiling Cynthia and she took another bite from the sandwich Ash was feeding her with.

* * *

" _Is this how you handle females in human society?"_ asked Lucario.

Both him and Lucario were standing in the middle of the cave near the large campfire across each other ready to start the training. But before the actual training, Lucario questioned Ash about Cynthia and their morning incident.

"No. Of course not. I think it's actually illegal to forcibly tie up and hold people 'hostage' like this." Ash replied.

" _Than why are you doing it?"_ asked Lucario.

"Stubborn women like Cynthia are hard to handle. This is the easiest solution. And since we are already breaking laws left and right, I figured that this one we can break too. Besides, it's not like she will remain tied up and 'kidnapped' forever." said Ash.

" _Interesting..."_ said Lucario thinking about what Ash just said..

"Enough about me and Cynthia. Any ideas how to handle this?" asked Ash raising his arm with a missing hand to Lucario.

" _Kinda. So firstly. Bo training is out of the question. Bo, as you know, is a two-handed weapon. We can try and train you in something similar to Bo, but one-handed. Unfortunately, we don't have time for that. So we will focus on your hand-to-hand combat."_ said Lucario.

"Great..." said Ash sarcastically. Years learning how to fight with Bo just went out of the window.

" _However, I think that I know how to make you a great fighter even without your hand. The key in this will be speed."_ said Lucario.

"Speed?" asked Ash.

" _Yes. Your defense will remain relatively unchanged. You can block attacks even without a hand. Some counterattacks will have to be tweaked, but that will not take too much time to change. But then, there are your attacks and punches. You will have to be twice as fast to be on the same level as you once were. That's why speed is the key. What your left hand did now falls solely on the right hand. And what your right hand did, it has to do now too. That is what we will focus on. I don't know any fighting style where only one hand is used, so we will tweak the current one. This is my plan. If you have any other suggestion, I am all ears."_ said Lucario.

"Since I don't have a plan, we will do this your way. But I have a question. What about Aura Spheres and the Shield?" asked Ash. He tried to make a sphere and a shield with his left arm, but without a hand, he was unable too.

" _Same advance. We will have to increase the speed it takes to create the sphere's and the transition between making shields and spheres."_ said Lucario.

"Is all of this even possible?" asked Ash. It sounds impossible.

" _I think so. You are now at a level of a professional fighter in terms of speed of your punches and kicks. And as we know, Aura Guardians have much more durability and stronger bodies to match. So your muscles should be capable of breaking the limits of the regular human speed of punches and kicks without too much of a problem."_

"Well. Seems like we have a lot of work to do." said Ash.

" _Indeed we do."_ said Lucario.

* * *

"Goddammit!" yelled out a frustrated Ash as he punched the ground.

" _Get up, Ash."_ said Lucario to Ash, who was lying on the ground.

Ash slowly rose up and looked at Lucario with a focused glare. His body was sore already, but it was nothing Ash couldn't handle. If a little bit of pain stopped him from training, he would never be able to stand against Team Rocket.

The second he got up again, Ash was in defense against Lucario's punches and kicks again. _"I hate this."_ thought Ash. He was usually on the offense. He was the one who was pushing Lucario when he had both of his hands. Now he has to defend himself and even that is not enough.

Ash blocked Lucario's spin kick and was ready to counterattack by grabbing Lucario's leg. Ash tried to grab Lucario's leg with his left hand. Unfortunately for Ash, this is not the arm with a hand. Ash's eyes widened slightly when he realized his mistake.

Lucario took advantage of Ash's hesitation and punched Ash in the left side of his stomach. Ash groaned in his deep voice at the sudden pain of Lucario's punch.

Lucario than continued with a round kick to Ash's right side, but Ash blocked Lucario's advance with his right hand. Ash after the block went for another counterattack and stepped forward and elbowed Lucario in the stomach with his left arm following the attack with a right kick aimed at Lucario's side.

Lucario blocked the second attack with his right paw and simultaneously attacked with his left paw on Ash's breast. Ash, seeing this from a mile away, tried to catch Lucario's punch with his left hand, but again, his left hand was not there.

Lucario delivered another powerful blow to Ash causing Ash to collapse on the ground for the 6th time in three minutes.

" _Stop trying to use your left hand, Ash."_ said Lucario.

"You think I am not trying? I do! But when I see your attack coming I act on instinct. And my instincts still think that my left hand is there!" said Ash loudly, pointing at his bandaged left arm with the right hand.

" _We will get nowhere if this will continue."_ said Lucario.

" _I have an idea."_ said someone.

The two fighters looked at the figure approaching them revealing Mewtwo standing before them. Mewtwo slowly came to Ash, offering him his hand and pulled him back up.

"Well. I am all ears, Mewtwo."

An hour later, Mewtwo was watching how his idea was unfolding. The fight between Ash and Lucario was much slower now, but Ash finally stopped using his left hand.

After Ash blocked several blows from Lucario, Lucario announced a quick break so both of them could get something to drink.

" _Now if you excuse me, I'll go to drink some water."_ said Lucario, politely with a bow and left Mewtwo and Ash alone near the big fireplace in the middle of the Haven.

"Yeah. That reminds me I forgot to give Cynthia that orange juice you brought here, Mewtwo."

" _Are you going to feed her again?"_ asked Mewtwo.

"Well, she can't drink very well with her hands tied up." replied Ash as the two of them made their way towards Mewtwo's room where all the things they need to survive here are.

"Which reminds me. How did you think of this?" said Ash, flapping his cape over his left arm out of the way, showing that his left arm is tied with a thin rope against his back to keep him from using his left arm.

" _It was lady Shirona who gave me the idea."_ replied Mewtwo walking with Ash towards Mewtwo's room.

"Of course. I bet she saw how we are tying the grunts together so she came up with this idea. She truly is clever." said Ash.

" _Actually, it has nothing to do with the Team Rocket grunts and tying them up."_ said Mewtwo when they reached Mewtwo's room filled with stuff to eat and drink.

"Huh? Then what?" asked surprised Ash when he grabbed a small cartoon of an orange juice with a straw from Mewtwo's room.

" _I am sure you will find out in the future."_ said Mewtwo.

* * *

" **Kanto region is still covered in the biggest storm in two decades. Our sources say that the storm should end in two days. Thanks to the early meteorological prediction, no one was killed in the storm. However, 17 people have been injured in the storm according to our sources. It is possible that more people are injured since communication is still out. And in other news, the Unova conference is coming up in a few months, so I hope you are ready for some exciting Pokemon battles. There are a lot of new talents emerging from the Unova region so show up in the stands and support new talented trainers in their dreams to become a champion. There..."** said some woman in the radio who was interrupted by a loud yell inside a tent where the radio was playing.

"Haha! I won!" yelled out a tall bulky man dressed in winter clothes and the only thing that was not covered were his brown eyes. This man and two others were dressed in warm winter clothes and were in the tent playing cards with each other.

"Again?! Are you sure he is not cheating, Steven?" asked the second man. Who was slightly shorter than the previous one. But both of them were dressed in white winter clothes and thick leather boots inside their orange tent, lit only by a small lantern in the corner.

Outside were two other orange tents that were withstanding the harsh blizzards of Mount Coronet. The 9 man expedition on the mountain went as expected so far. Each time they moved closer towards the peak, the temperature drops slightly. They had to sleep in their winter clothes since they are so close to the top now.

Even when the expedition went as planned, they haven't found anything yet. No anomalies were spotted with their tech. The guys in the second tent have the technology to monitor the situation here and not a single sign of seismic activity was caught on the radar.

The guys in the third tent were carrying food and the other needs that they need to survive in these harsh condition. Thankfully, they have enough food for 2 months with them so they should be fine. And the clothes Charles gave them for the expedition was warm enough too. On top of that, one of the men took with him a pack of cards, so Steven and the other man named Eric, who was with them in a tent, could kill some time before the climb.

And so far, the group of travelers got along pretty well. Right from the beginning. After all, Steven is the type of guy who could make friends even with the most stubborn person ever. He is the most charming man you could encounter one would say.

"Not sure, Eric." said Steven who was dressed similarly to the other two guys.

"Come on guys. I would have never cheated on you." said a laughing, bulky, tall man whose name was Jim.

"I don't believe you, the last expedition you were giving yourself the best cards when you were shuffling." said Eric.

"Want to shuffle the deck yourself?" asked Jim in a booming voice and a slight laughter.

"... Give it to me." said an irritated Eric, and he snatched the pack of cards from Jim's hand. Shuffling a deck with thick gloves is an art, and both Jim and Eric have so much experience with climbs like this, that it's like they are shuffling the deck as the normal person would without gloves.

As another game of cards is played, Steven is thinking about the expedition as a whole. Since their climb on the mountain, no tremor stirred the area. Even when they were ready for it.

The weirder thing is that Mount Coronet was never a source of seismic activity. And the fact their technology didn't catch anything pointed to the fact that there were no ordinary earthquakes either. Then what is it? The only thing he could think of is that there is a massive Pokemon somewhere on Mount Coronet causing these things. But then, why would it stop now? So many questions, Steven thought he may never find the answer.

When the group began their climb again, they stopped for a moment on a relatively flat place several meters below the very top. In the blizzard, it was very hard to make out, but one of the men in his group saw the entrance into the cave on this platform. The group made their way through the high and thick snow into the entrance of a cave and after several minutes, they made it into the cave.

"Where do you think it leads?" asked Eric who was already tired from the climb, being the weakest from the group.

"To answers." replied Steven.

Clarence, one of the guys who carried the supplies, unpacked his enormous backpack and pulled out a small lantern. Right after it, he pulled out matches from his pocket in the winter jacket and lit the lantern up.

With light shining through the small cave, they made their way forward. And just after a couple of steps, Jeremy, the man with the research technology, stopped.

"There is a heat signature coming towards us." he said looking at a display of some small tablet in his hands.

"Do you know what it is?" asked Steven who stopped with the group a few steps from Jeremy.

"It's a human. A man most likely. His body temperature is slightly higher than that of a normal human." said Jeremy.

Small noises were heard as the group stood in their places. Clarence made a few steps into the darkness of the cave with his lantern lit up to shine the light for them to see the approaching human. And after a few seconds, the human was spotted in the darkness.

"He is missing his left hand." said Jeremy as the image of the human approaching them was getting much clearer on the display.

As the man approached them, he was covered from head to toe in a cloak and a grey scarf that covered his mouth. The only feature they could see was his nose, thick black beard, and the start of a scar under his eye. The eye which with the second one is hidden under the hood. He is wearing some sort of a black cape over his left hand to cover his missing hand, but the missing heat signature there gave it away already.

"Greetings. What brings you here, gentleman?" asked the man in a very deep voice.

"Greetings. We are here to uncover the mystery of the tremors that were surrounding Mount Coronet. It is said to come from here." said Steven in his calm tone as he stepped from the group to do the talking with this stranger.

"That? I didn't think it would cause that much commotion for the league to send the Champion himself to check up on it." said the man, sounding surprised.

"The tremors caused people in nearby villages to become worried. So I came here to investigate it. You know something about that?" asked Steven.

"Yes. My Pokemon caused the tremors." replied the man.

"Your Pokemon?" asked now surprised Steven.

"Yes. I am sorry that my training caused so much commotion. I promise it will not happen again." said the man.

"Your Pokemon are that strong?" asked Steven.

"I suppose they are since you are here." replied the man.

Steven was very careful in his approach to this man. The strength was practically radiating from him and he felt tense when talking to him. But he seemed harmless so far, so that's a good thing. Well, harmless in the fact that he didn't attack them. If his Pokemon are so strong, then he is not harmless at all. Maybe he should test it out.

"What do you say to a battle to test out your Pokemons' strength?" asked Steven.

The cave in which they are in now isn't very big, but for a 3 to 3 match, for example, it looks like a good enough place to have a Pokemon battle.

"... Why not. I haven't had a Pokemon battle in a long time." said the man.

"Before we battle, can I ask you what are you doing up here? It's not exactly a place for a human to be in." said Steven as he went to make a space between him and the man for their Pokemon battle.

"I like solitude." replied the bearded man, simply.

Steven stood with his group on the one side of the cave, and the man stood across him. The light from Clarence's lantern barely reached the man on the other end.

Steven was preparing his strategy for the battle. For him, it's more about getting information of this man and his Pokemon than the actual battle. Not that it would change anything about going all out, but he will pay close attention to the man during the battle. There is no better source of information than the battle between two trainers.

"How does a 3 on 3 sound?" asked Steven.

"Fine by me." said the man.

And then the man, without any announcement for the start of the battle, pulled out a pokeball from his belt under the cloak and threw it out, revealing a Weavile.

"Skarmory, onto the battlefield!" said Steven as he released his first Pokemon.

The whole cave went silent for a moment. Especially the group that was with Steven was dead silent. It is not every day you see a Hoenn Champion battle some random person. As they were savoring the moment, a conversation between the bearded man and Steven continued.

"You may have the first move, Mr. Stone." said the man politely.

"Thank you." said Steven. "Skarmory, Aerial Ace!" said Steven loudly.

"Block it with Metal Claw." said the man calmly.

Skarmory made a quick flip in the air and dived into the direction where Weavile was standing. The sharp claw Pokemon crossed her hands in front of her and awaited the impact. The collision of attacks came and the result surprised everybody.

The gush of wind created by Skarmory's quick Aerial ace went past the Weavile resulting in the flapping of the mystery man's cloak and Weavile was still rooted at the same spot she was before. Skarmory's attack didn't move Weavile at all.

Startled, Skarmory then quickly flew up in the restricted room of the cave. Everybody in the cave had their jaws near the floor at such display of power. This is one of Champion's Pokemon and Skarmory didn't do anything to Weavile.

"That's... impressive." said Steven.

"Thank you." said the man.

"Let's continue. Brave Bird!" said Steven.

"Night Slash." said the man.

Following their commands, Skarmory made a quick turn in the air and set himself on flames. In the same time, Weavile created a purple glowing rod in her palm. Skarmory's flaming body turned blue as he dived towards Weavile, who jumped towards the Skarmory.

Two attacks collided creating a small explosion in the air. The first Pokemon who emerged from the smoke created by the explosion was Weavile, who landed in front of the mysterious man with grace. Skarmory on the other hand glided to the ground, injured. The damage was increased when the recoil damage from a powerful Brave Bird attack activated.

"Hidden Power." said the man.

"Dodge and Air Slash!" said Steven.

Weavile quickly created a white sphere with a dark blue tint and threw it at Skarmory even faster. Unfortunately for her, Skarmory dodged it with ease and the gear-like attack from Skarmory hit Weavile directly, resulting in another smaller explosion.

When Weavile was revealed to be relatively unharmed by the attack, Steven went for another attack.

"Steel Wing!" he said.

And as Skarmory was preparing for another attack, Steven began analyzing their match so far. His Pokemon is incredibly strong. Getting unscathed from Skarmory's attack was unbelievable. And it even seemed like the trainer before him waited for Weavile to be struck by the Air Slash to test how Weavile would fare against the attack. Not to mention Weavile's Night Slash was stronger than Skarmory's Brave Bird.

"Night Slash." said Steven's opponent.

And the two Pokemon clashed again. But this time Skarmory was diving again and again against Weavile, and Weavile, with a cocky smirk, was continuously deflecting Steal Wing's aimed for her.

Tired, Skarmory landed on the ground panting from the continuous attempts to hit Weavile.

"Skarmory, Air Slash!" said Steven.

"Blizzard." said the cloaked man.

And as Skarmory attacked with another Air Slash, Weavile opened her mouth and released an enormous Blizzard towards Skarmory.

"Skarmory, use Steel Wing and protect yourself from the Blizzard!" said Steven, quickly.

Skarmory, mere seconds before the Blizzard reached him, placed his wings in front of him and shielded himself with a Steel Wing attack.

"What the hell is this Blizzard?!" asked one of the men from Steven's group who were behind Steven and received the full power of Weavile's Blizzard as well.

After Weavile's attack ended, Skarmory stood still in his place with wings covering his body. With a powerful screech, Skarmory revealed that he was not done yet.

"That's one determined Pokemon... I like it." said the mystery man.

"Thank you. And you are one powerful trainer. Why haven't we heard of you?" asked a curious Steven, seeking information about this mystery man apparently living in the mountain. Maybe that's why they never heard of him.

"Trust me, Mr. Stone, when I say you have certainly heard of me." said the man.

"Huh?" asked Steven.

"But back to the battle, Mr. Stone. Night Slash." said the mystery man.

"Skarmory, dodge!" said Steven. But as he was sorting his thoughts about the man in front of him, Steven failed to notice that Skarmory's feet were frozen to the ground below them. Skarmory struggled to break free, but Weavile quickly silenced the Steel Bird Pokemon with a Night Slash.

Weavile literally appeared in front of Skarmory, forming a purple glowing rod in her one hand and with a spin swing, she sent Skarmory across the cave into the nearby wall of the cave. Weavile's attack was so powerful that Skarmory became a blur after the hit, and causing several rocks to fall from the place where Skarmory landed.

Unmoving, Skarmory fell limply on the floor of the cave with swirls in its eyes.

"I believe this battle is over." said the man and he recalled Weavile. Stunned, Steven, after several seconds of silence, recalled his Skarmory. "You did well, Skarmory."

"Mr. Stone, catch." said the man as he threw some kind of berry to Steven. When Steven caught the berry, it was revealed to be a Sitrus berry. The one which restores a Pokemon's energy.

"Thank you." said Steven. Here on the mountain, he can't heal his Skarmory, so this kind gesture is very welcomed. Seems like this man is not dangerous at all.

"Now for the second battle, Mr. Stone." said the man. This time Steven caught a sign of excitement in his voice. The man reached into his belt for another pokeball and threw it in the air. This time the Pokemon inside was much larger than Weavile.

Steven smiled when he saw the Pokemon. A battle of his favorite Pokemon type is going to take place right now.

"Metagross, onto the battlefield!" said Steven as he released his strongest Pokemon onto the battlefield.

"I see you are not going to go easy on me, Mr. Stone." said the mystery man when he saw the famous Shiny Metagross of Steven Stone in all of its glory. This time, the mystery man raised his head revealing his unique blue eyes underneath the hood. And when Steven looked into them, he knew that not only the Pokemon he released from his pokeball is powerful, but also some kind of immeasurable power is stored inside those eyes as well.

"I can say the same thing about you. This Aggron looks very powerful." said Steven.

"We will see how powerful he is. I mean. How better to test Aggron's power than a battle with one of the most powerful Pokemon in the pokemon league?" said the mystery man with a chuckle that was heard through his scarf.

"You are a flatterer." said Steven jokingly. "Well. Since I had the first move before, now it's your time." said Steven politely. Maybe it was Steven's charm, but this man, even though mysterious, is easy to get along with.

"Iron Head." said the man.

"Metagross, Meteor Mash." said Steven.

Aggron began running against the Iron Legged Pokemon. Running, Aggron created small tremors in the cave's floor because of his huge size and ferocity of which he was approaching the Iron Legged Pokemon.

Metagross raised one of his silvery metal hands, engulfed in a golden meteor shaped star, and prepared to deliver hit to a running Aggron, who by now was enveloped in white particles with specks of grey across his body.

With experience, Metagross waited for the right moment, and when Aggron was just a few centimeters from his metallic face, he attacked with Meteor Mash. Metagross's punch caused Aggron to fall on the ground as his own attack was interrupted.

"So this is what it's like to fight against your Metagross." said the mysterious man.

"Don't tell me it's already over." said Steven sounding a little disappointed. Skarmory is one of his weaker Pokemon, so to get more information about this man's fighting style, he called out the big guns. He didn't expect Aggron to fall this early even against his Metagross.

"No. Of course not. Right, Aggron?" asked the mysterious man.

And as if on cue, Aggron picked himself up and released a powerful roar in the cave.

"This is going inside my journal for sure." said Clarence with the lantern still in hand for his mountain-climber group. The group was quiet the whole time and was just savoring the moment of a great battle. The group even gasped when Skarmory was defeated. They themselves didn't know what to do, so they let Steven do the talking and gain knowledge about this man. Its Steven's mission after all. They are here just to provide him with the necessary equipment and transport.

"You have a journal?" said another man from the group, with some device with an antenna in his hand.

"No. But I am going to start one just because of this." said Clarence turning his attention back to the battlefield.

He quickly placed the lantern on the rocky floor of the cave and pulled a phone from his jacket. Shortly after he was taking pictures of the glorious battle between a champion and a stranger. It's not every day you see the Shiny Metagross of the great Steven Stone in action so up close.

"Metal Sound." said the mysterious man.

Aggron's horns start glowing white and they released an annoyingly screeching sound in the cave. The mountain-climber group and Steven had to cover their ears since they were in the way of a sound-based attack.

"Metagross, Earthquake!" yelled Steven still affected by the Metal Sound attack.

Metagross, fortunately, heard Steven and jumped slightly into the air before dropping on the ground with a massive Earthquake following shortly after.

Metagross's Earthquake caused the ceiling of the cave to tremble and drop several rocks on the ground with the ground shaking tremendously, damaging Aggron and interrupting his attack.

"Now, use Psychic!" said Steven.

Aggron was lifted from the ground into the air and dropped to the ground with enhanced gravity by Metagross, damaging the Iron Armor Pokemon again. "He sure has a lot of stamina."

"Metagross, Meteor Mash!" exclaimed Steven, when he saw Aggron rising up again.

"Metal Claw." said the mysterious man.

Aggron and shiny Metagross were trading blow after blow with their respective attacks colliding with each other in time with one another. But since Aggron was already injured, Metagross, after dozens of traded blows, gave Aggron a Meteor Mash into the face causing him to fall down onto the ground yet again.

"I think it's over now." said Steven already thinking the match was over.

"And who decided that?" asked the mysterious man and Aggron rose once again with another roar, now louder than the previous one.

"Thunderbolt." said the mysterious man and before Steven could register what was going on, a yellow bolt of lightning struck Metagross's body, who released a grunt of pain.

But even though the Thunderbolt was powerful, it was nowhere near the power Aggron would need to bring Metagross down. This Metagross is the strongest member of Steven's team after all.

"Metagross, Double Edge!" said Steven.

"Iron Head." said the cloaked man.

Two massive Pokemon surrounded themselves in white and yellow energy and made their way to another with impressive speed and both powerful attacks collided, causing a rather large explosion, causing several rocks on the ground to be thrown all around them. Steven shielded his eyes looking at the battlefield to find out the result of the collision.

As the smoke was slowly clearing, both trainers could see that only one Pokemon was left standing. And from the silhouette, it was clear who was the winner.

"Aggron, return. I am proud of you. You did well." said the mysterious trainer recalling his beat up Aggron back into the pokeball.

"It's a tie now." said Steven as he recalled his fairly unscathed Metagross back into the pokeball.

"Then what do you say we settle the score once and for all, Mr. Stone?" said the mysterious man.

Steven himself was again thinking deeply about the battle that took place. It looked like this man was just testing his own Pokemon's strength. He wasn't very enthusiastic about the battle, even though he could faintly hear a hint of excitement in his commands. Nevertheless, his Aggron is a very powerful Pokemon. He withstandood a lot of Metagross's strong attacks and was still able to go on.

"The first move is again yours, Mr. Stone." said the mysterious man snapping the Hoenn Champion out of his thoughts.

In the next instant, the mysterious man threw another pokeball into the air revealing a Toxicroak, that will be Steven's last opponent. A rather lazy Toxicroak. When the man released him from the pokeball, it was revealed that Toxicroak was sleeping.

"Claydol, onto the battlefield!" said Steven.

"And the last match begins." said Jim behind Steven eager to find out the result of this private battle.

"Claydol, Psybeam!" said Steven.

"Counter with Sludge Wave." said the mysterious man.

Zig-zagged beam full of colors and a purple poisonous tentacle-like sludge collided, pushing against each other. Neither of the attacks had the necessary firepower to overpower the other one so an explosion followed.

"Claydol, Hyper Beam!" said Steven not even waiting for a cloud of smoke disperse.

"Sludge Wave." said the mysterious man.

And again, the two attacks collided creating another explosion, now much larger than the previous one. And since the explosion was bigger, the cloud of smoke created was bigger as well. Steven now realized that the first Sludge wave was not even at full power, because if it was, Claydol's Psybeam would be useless.

"Low Sweep."

Before Steven's eye could register it, an apparently lazy Toxicroak appeared right in front of Claydol delivering a powerful kick into Claydol's legs, sweeping him off the ground.

"Poison Jab." said the mysterious man and Toxicroak's claw on his hand glowed purple and was shoved into Claydoll's chest, who was lying on the ground thanks to the Low Sweep.

After those two attacks, Claydol could finally move again and Steven took notice of this.

"Claydol, Hyper Beam!" said Steven. Steven hoped that since Toxicroak is so close the Hyper Beam that they would connect. And his thought was right.

Still lying on the ground, Claydol formed an orange-like sphere in front of him, and then the beam from this sphere was shot into Toxicroak, who was blown away by this powerful attack.

However, it did not hurt Toxicroak how Steven hoped. Because even in an injured state, it looked like Toxicroak was prepared for yet another attack.

"Sucker Punch."

Claydol, who finally stood up, was forced to go to the ground again when a Sucker Punch connected with his stomach.

"Poison Jab."

And just like previously, a Poison Jab was shoved into Claydol's stomach. Steven desperate to end Claydol's suffering, ordered another attack.

"Claydol, another Hyper Beam!" said Steven.

"Sludge Wave." said the mysterious man now prepared for the Hyper Beam attack.

And just like previously the two attacks collided. But now form a point-blank range since Toxicroak was still standing on top of Claydol.

"Poison Jab."

And in the grey cloud of smoke, a purple glowing claw was seen and shoved into Claydol's stomach once again. It took a few seconds before the cloud of smoke cleared revealing a pretty beat-up Claydol and Toxicroak who was still standing on top of him.

"I didn't think I would be forced to use this. Claydol, use Explosion!" said Steven.

Steven could see the eyes of the mysterious man, with seemingly unmovable expression, widen slightly. He clearly didn't expect this. When the mysterious man tried to give a command to Toxicroak it was already too late. Claydol exploded with Toxicroak still on top of him increasing the damage to the Toxic Mouth Pokemon.

The cloud created by the Explosion was large enough to fill every corner of the cave. This caused a few coughs from everyone present. After a minute of dead silence, the smoke was cleared revealing a knocked out Claydol.

However, Toxicroak was not out of the game yet. He was lying on the ground panting heavily trying with all his might to stand up. Shaking, Toxicroak revealed to Steven that his lazy nature is only second to that determined one.

"Impossible." mumbled Steven. This was supposed to be Toxicroak's end. Not a single Pokemon he ever fought survived the blast from Explosion. Not to mention this one was from point-blank range. But this Toxicroak did. And with one final loud, toad like croak, Toxicroak rose up, standing tall again.

"Toxicroak. You are magnificent." praised the mysterious bearded trainer to his Pokemon. After several seconds of silence, Steven was finally able to find words in his mouth.

"I guess I lost." said Steven in disbelief. This was supposed to be a draw. Not a loss for him.

With shaky legs, Toxicroak was then returned into his pokeball by its trainer. Who looked on the pokeball with a warm smile. It seemed like he himself didn't expect Toxicroak to withstand that blow.

"THAT WAS A MAGNIFICENT BATTLE!" yelled out Jim in his signature booming voice.

"Indeed it was." said Clarence.

Steven with closed eyes and a smirk on his face, recalled his Claydol back into the pokeball. "Guess today was not our day, Claydol." said Steven.

"Thanks for the battle, Mr. Stone." said the mystery man.

"It was my pleasure. I hadn't had a battle like this in such a long time." said Steven who approached the man in and shook his hand.

"By the way. I never caught your name. What is it." said Steven. He learned a lot from their battle about this man. But his name is still a mystery.

"My name is not important." said the mystery man. Steven looked into his blue eyes trying to find some answers there, but he didn't.

The stranger just turned around and began walking away, leaving Steven and his crew. But Steven has for him one last question before they say their goodbyes to each other.

"Than, how should I call you?" asked Steven giving up on his name. Just from his eyes, he could tell when this man does not want to be known. But a nickname of sorts could be a subtle way to get at least some information about him. And it worked. The stranger looked over his shoulder and made a simple reply.

"You can call me Red."

* * *

 **Author's note: So a large portion of the chapter was on the battle. And I hope you liked it. It was sooooo long since the last proper Pokemon battle that I had to have on right here. I wanted to give some of Ash's new Pokemon some spotlight since everything revolves around Mewtwo, Pikachu, and Lucario all the time.**

 **I don't have anything else to say other than write your reviews! I was really disappointed when only 4 reviews were in the last chapter since usually, it was around 12.**

 **That's all from me. Faptime's out.**

 **Ash's Pokemon in The Haven and their moveset:**

 **Pikachu (Male) – Thunder, Quick Attack, Iron Tail, Volt Tackle**

 **Luxray (Female) – Thunder Fang, Crunch, Volt Switch, Wild Charge**

 **Bulbasaur (Male) – Vine Whip, Razor Leaf, Leech Seed, Solar Beam**

 **Meganium (Female) – Grassy Terrain, Magical Leaf, Vine Whip, Petal Dance**

 **Sceptile (Male) – Leaf Storm, Solar Beam, Leaf Blade, Double Team**

 **Torterra (Male) – Leaf Storm, Energy Ball, Rock Climb, Synthesis**

 **Feraligatr (Male) – Ice Fang, Crunch, Slash, Bulldoze**

 **Crawdaunt (Male) – Bubble Beam, Knock Off, Vice Grip, Harden**

 **Kingler (Male) – Water Gun, Metal Claw, Crabhammer, Hyper Beam**

 **Floatzel (Male) - Aqua Jet, Hydro Pump, Sonic Boom, Ice Punch**

 **Milotic (Female) – Aqua Tail, Water Pulse, Scald, Twister,**

 **Torkoal (Male) - Heat Wave, Overheat, Iron Defense. Rock Slide**

 **Typhlosion (Female) – Flamethrower, Eruption, Aerial Ace, Swift**

 **Infernape (Male) – Overheat, Flare Blitz, Mach Punch, Dig**

 **Charizard (Male) – Flamethrower, Dragon Rage, Dragon Tail, Seismic Toss**

 **Noctowl (Male) – Confusion, Sky Attack, Air Slash, Extrasensory**

 **Swellow (Male) – U-Turn, Roost, Aerial Ace, Double Team**

 **Staraptor (Male) – Quick Attack, Wing Attack, Brave Bird, Close Combat**

 **Tauros x30 (Males) – Fissure, Take Down, Horn Attack, Zen Headbutt**

 **Snorlax (Male) – Ice Punch, Rest, Hyper Beam, Body Slam**

 **Donphan (Male) – Rollout, Earthquake, Take Down, Hyper Beam**

 **Gliscor (Male) – X-Scissor, Fire Fang, Giga Impact, Stone Edge**

 **Heracross (Male) – Megahorn, Sleep Talk, Focus Punch, Hyper Beam**

 **Muk (Male) – Sludge Bomb, Body Slam, Mud Bomb, Acid Spray**

 **Toxicroak (Male) – Sludge Wave, Poison Jab, Sucker Punch, Low Sweep**

 **Glalie (Male) – Ice Beam, Shadow Ball, Protect, Crunch**

 **Garchomp (Male) – Dig, Slash, Dragon Rush, Draco Meteor**

 **Sableye (Male) – Shadow Ball, Power Gem, Will-O-Wisp, Detect**

 **Lucario (Male) – Aura Sphere, Blaze Kick, Bone Rush, Force Palm**

 **Metagross (Genderless) - Meteor Mash, Gyro Ball, Psychic, Flash Cannon**

 **Aggron (Male) – Metal Claw, Metal Sound, Iron Head, Thunderbolt**

 **Weavile (Female) – Night Slash, Metal Claw, Hidden Power, Blizzard**

 **Absol (Female) – Night Slash, Razor Wind, Attract, Fire Blast**

 **Tyranitar (Female) – Stone Edge, Earthquake, Dark Pulse, Dragon Claw**

 **Gardevoir (Female) – Teleport, Light Screen, Calm Mind, Heal Pulse**

 **Mewtwo (Male) – Psystrike, Psychic, Dream Eater, Hypnosis**

 **That's it for now.**

 **Reviews are appreciated.**


	22. Back from the dead: My Demons

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Pokemon or any of these characters.**

 **Author's note: Another chapter is here! And again I took a lot of time with it. But hey, I decided that apart from this fic, I will be writing the Game of Thrones one. So if you like ASOIAF and GoT check out my other fic. It's my take on Robert's Rebellion. I think not many people write about it and I find it as a very interesting topic.**

 **And about this chapter, I tried to bring some depth into the relationship between Ash and Cynthia. Till now it was all about jokes and teasing, and I think they need at least one or two serious moments to build something of it. So here it is.**

 **After this chapter, the plot will finally move forward from The Haven. I think I spend a lot of time in there already.**

 **SHOUT-OUT TO YoungsterAustin. I AM GRATEFUL THAT HE TOOK HIS TIME WITH THIS CHAPTER AND RAN THROUGH IT. THANK YOU!**

"classic conversation"

" _thoughts/telepathy/link"_

 **That is all for now. Enjoy.**

* * *

 **XVIII. Back from the dead: My demons**

Sitting in his 'room' Ash thought about the whole encounter with Steven. He didn't expect him to be one of the men he registered and who were getting dangerously close to his home. This could get dangerous. If Team Rocket will catch a word about his whereabouts than there would be a big problem. And he still needs more time. Maybe he shouldn't tell him he is named Red. That could give them another a clue. And the encounter with Steven reminded him of another situation.

Examining that damn necklace in hand, Ash was wondering what to do with it. He can't very well give it back to Steven. Not right now anyway.

And Steven probably gave up on this necklace a long time ago. Maybe Cynthia will know what to do with it?

Ash looked around the cave until he finally saw her. She was now introducing her Garchomp to Ash's Sableye. And it looked like her Garchomp isn't very pleased with Sableye's behavior.

" _Anger anyone but her Sableye. Please. No pranks on her. Her Draco Meteor would be the end of this cave."_ said Ash through the link.

" _Really?"_ asked Sableye.

" _Yes. That's one Pokemon even I am afraid of. Especially if she has Cynthia's temperament."_ replied Ash.

" _Well... How about we find out?"_ asked Sableye sinisterly as the Ghost Pokemon was preparing to do something.

" _Mewtwo? Will you help me with this one?"_ asked Ash hopefully again through the link.

" _How? Psychic attacks don't affect Sableye and I use only psychic attacks."_ replied Mewtwo.

When Ash looked where Cynthia, Sableye, and Garchomp once was, Sableye was gone. Ash got up, put the necklace inside his pocket inside the cloak and walked to Cynthia to warn her that his Sableye is up to no good. Hopefully he will make it in time. You never know when the purple devil will strike.

But before he reached her, Sableye, with a bucket of what looked like Muk's slime reached them and from above, dumbed the slimy, sticky and smelly substance on both Cynthia and Garchomp.

"What is this?!" asked Cynthia surprised with a disgusted face. She involuntarily inhaled the scent of the purple substance, and right after it, her pale skin turned blue and her hand pinched her nose.

"God that smells awful!" exclaimed Cynthia.

However, her Garchomp didn't have this peaceful reaction. Immediately when Garchomp saw Sableye smiling with a bucket in hand, Garchomp surrounded herself in a blue energy and jumped at Sableye with impressive speed.

But before she could destroy Sableye with a powerful Dragon Rush, another Pokemon jumped and stopped Garchomp's advance.

With two prolonged, white, glowing claws, Ash's own Garchomp stopped Cynthia's Garchomp in midair. And he had a lot of work to keep her Dragon Rush at bay. With his white claws trembling and pushing more and more, Ash's Garchomp was nearing his limit. Eventually both Dragon Rush and Slash faded and both Pokemon landed on the ground staring at each other with neutral expressions. Meanwhile, Sableye just disappeared from the scene like nothing has happened.

"How about we stop this before somebody gets hurt?" asked Ash.

" _And what if I want somebody to get hurt?"_ asked Cynthia's Garchomp in pokespeech.

"Hey. Easy there, girl. If you want, you can have a proper match with Sableye later. You can release your frustration there." replied Ash.

" _I would advise to get used to that, however. It's kinda Sableye's thing."_ said Garchomp with a neutral expression to Cynthia's Garchomp. All the while Cynthia was trying to get rid of the mess Ash's Sableye made to her clothes.

" _Then you better get used to the fact Sableye will take responsibility for these actions. I will not be someone's laughing stock._ " said Cynthia's Garchomp sternly.

" _To be perfectly honest, you already are."_ said Ash's Garchomp with a smug smile on his face.

And when Cynthia's Garchomp looked around she saw several Pokemon laughing like crazy at Cynthia and Garchomp. And on instinct Cynthia's Garchomp enveloped herself in pink and yellow energy, and was ready to gain some respect back.

"Garchomp. Stop." said Cynthia calmly, still covered in the sticky smelly substance and pinching her nose. And with a simple command, Garchomp's energy evaporated.

" _Well. That was easy."_ thought Ash. He expected some kind of anger burst from Cynthia too, but surprisingly, now, she was surprisingly calm. Too calm.

Cynthia looked at Ash and spoke. "Tell Sableye to apologize and never to do this thing again, and we will forget this... thing." said Cynthia looking at drenched clothes.

"Hehe. About that. I... don't think that is a... feasible request." said Ash nervously scratching the back of his head.

"And why is that?" asked Cynthia with a stern look.

"Well. Sableye is... Sableye." answered Ash.

"And that is supposed to be an answer?" replied Cynthia.

"Well... It's just. It can quickly get boring inside this cave. And thanks to Sableye, there is always something to laugh at with him around. So I let these pranks of his slide." said Ash.

"Easy for you to say. I am the one covered in this mess. Not you!" replied Cynthia angrily. Ash just chuckled and replied.

"I was covered in much worse. Do you know what that little devil did to me during those three years? This isn't even scratching the surface of his creativity. You just have to expect that sometimes, you will be laughed at instead of laughing at the misfortune of others." said Ash.

Looking at Cynthia, Ash was surprised when she sighed and said "Fine". But Ash saw that it wasn't fine. She looked unhappy. Frustrated. Even without his powers activated he could see that something was still bothering Cynthia.

"What's bothering you?" asked Ash. Whatever is bothering Cynthia, it was clear that she doesn't want to talk about it. She wasn't even trying to look at him. The grassy floor beneath them seemed much more interesting to her.

Ash couldn't bear seeing Cynthia like this, so he acted. Raising his right hand he gently lifted her chin. "This solemn expression doesn't suit you. What is bothering you?" he said gently.

"Do you take me seriously, Ash?" she asked in a low tone.

"Of course I do! You are the Great Champion of Kanto!" Ash replied.

"It doesn't look like it." said Cynthia.

"Huh?"

"It's just, while I've been here, you are making fun of me. And I am OK with it. For the most part. But, when all you are doing is making fun of me, I am wondering if you care about me at all. I am trying not to change anything you have established here and I am trying to fit in with all of you, but I feel like I will never be able to fit in." she said.

"Cynthia. You are fitting in perfectly. Sableye's actions are a great example. You have been here for just 2 days and Sableye already took a liking to you. That's saying something. Even though he could choose a different method to express it. We all respect you. But we try to take it lightly here. Fighting with Team Rocket is very stressful for all of us so we try to enjoy our time when we are not fighting on the front against them." Ash said.

"I get that. But I just want to have a normal conversation with you from time to time. You didn't even tell me how the encounter with those man that came in here went. I want to talk with you about normal things and not just be teased and laughed at all the time." said Cynthia.

"If you wish to speak to me about casual things, then consider your wish granted. But with that teasing part. I don't know if I can help it. You are just so damn cute when you are all embarrassed and blushing."

"Come on Ash! You just said you will stop making fun of me!" she said angrily.

"I am not making fun of you. I am dead serious, you really are cute when you are blushing." said Ash.

There it is. That cute blushing face again. Not that she didn't look cute otherwise. But without the redness in her cheeks, she looks more... Ash didn't have a word for it. Maybe graceful? Majestic? Something on that front. Gaining respect just from the way she walks and holds her posture.

"So, I fit in here?" she asked with the redness in her cheeks slowly fading away. She was looking around the cave like she was trying to check if the words that Ash spoke were true. The Pokemon that listened to their conversation nodded in approval, which caused Cynthia to smile.

"Of course you are. The fact you are now involved in our pranks means you are no longer just a guest but one of us." Ash said sincerely.

Finally, she smiled again. Yeah, that's the expression that can light day to everyone around. Ash has to make sure she will smile a lot more.

" _So you expect me to just be laughed at?!"_ said Cynthia's Garchomp angrily, who was watching the whole conversation. And it seems Ash will have to calm another female.

"Kinda. Next time you will be laughing at the misfortune of other Pokemon. So I think it's a fair trade." said Ash.

" _Fair trade?! What about him! Who will be laughing at him!"_ said angrily Garchomp.

"Calm down. We are returning his favors once in a while too. It is a fair trade." said Ash.

" _Trade whatever you want with him, just don't get me involved."_ said Cynthia's Garchomp.

" _Arceus, you are incredibly uptight. Can't you have fun once in a while?"_ asked Ash's Garchomp.

"I guess my Garchomp isn't very pleased with being laughed at." Cynthia asked as the two Garchomps argued.

"You could say that." replied Ash. "And you are OK with it then?" asked Ash.

"As long as it is not me every day, then why not. I guess it's much funnier when it happens to the others." said Cynthia inspecting her drenched smelly clothes.

"You have no idea." said Ash as he was beginning to laugh at Cynthia covered in the purple mess from head to toe.

"So it's that funny to you?" asked Cynthia with a smirk on her face.

"Yes." replied still laughing Ash.

"Than how about I give you a big, smelly hug to show how much I appreciate that you took us in." said Cynthia as she spread her drenched arms and slowly walked towards Ash. Ash's eyes widened and he slowly backed from Cynthia.

"I believe that will not be necessary, Cynthia." said Ash as he held his hand in front of him and started slowly backing off.

"I think it is, you troublemaker." she said and chased Ash through the Haven.

* * *

" _What is happening, Ash?"_ asked Pikachu.

"Huh?" replied Ash.

Ash and Pikachu were both now in front of a big fireplace with another Pokemon just enjoying the evening.

" _I asked what's happening?"_ asked Pikachu again.

"Nothing. Just a lot of things on my mind lately." said Ash.

In truth, there were not many things on his mind. Only two. Team Rocket and Cynthia. And the latter was all he could think about right now. Thanks to Sableye, Cynthia is taking a bath in their pond to clean herself. Thankfully, Cynthia didn't catch him, so she is taking the bath alone.

She is just awesome. How could she think that Ash didn't care about her? Yeah, he makes fun of her, but he thought that Cynthia saw it as harmless joking. Well, it is true that he was making fun of her a lot.

He should probably consider how she is feeling. She has to have the same worries as he had when he disappeared. Like her grandmother and what will that do to her. On top of that, she is a Champion; another thing that has to be on her mind a lot. Maybe that's why she wants to talk to him in a more serious way. Arceus how he was so blind? Of course, she is stressed because of that! Thankfully he has some tips to ease the guilt she is feeling. He went through it too after all.

Still thinking, he watched the berries grow on the bushes before the pond. Why did he plant those bushes before the pond? How he wished they would be anywhere else. Maybe Ash should let himself be caught and get that smelly hug. He would have an excuse to visit the pond behind those bushes. It's hard not to think about it. She is right behind them. Naked as the day she was born and cleaning herself. Running her wet hands on that smooth, snow white skin of hers. Maybe even...

 _"Stop!"_ thought Ash.

How did Aura Guardians get the honorable reputation they got? It's so hard not to just get up and peak at Cynthia bathing. How could they restrain themselves? If not for his Pokemon, he would probably be already peeping over the bush like some pervert. Is it just him, or were Aura Guardians struggling with this too? Or is it just a puberty?

" _Ash!"_ yelled out Pikachu snapping Ash out of his thoughts.

"Huh?" asked Ash again.

" _Are you still here? You have your head in clouds far too often lately."_ said Pikachu who jumped on Ash's shoulder.

"Sorry." said Ash.

Minutes passed by and Ash with all the Pokemon, even Cynthia's, were eating the food which Mewtwo brought today around the big fireplace in the center of the Haven. Today's menu was pizza. And a bunch of Pokemon food for Pokemon. Some Pokemon even tried the pizza which Mewtwo brought, but most of them spit it out in disgust.

" _Interesting. Cakes are OK, but pizzas are not."_ thought Ash.

Looking around their campfire, Ash smiled when he saw a lot of Pokemon getting along with Cynthia's.

Cynthia's Lucario and Gardevoir seemed to get along pretty well so far. They were talking about Cynthia right now and how she caught Lucario, and Gardevoir was listening carefully to not miss any part of the story.

Cynthia's Spiritomb and Ash's Toxicroak were in some kind of staring contest. Maybe even not moving context. Hard to tell from the few croaks and weird sounds that Spiritomb is making. They just stood/float opposite of each other.

Cynthia's Roserade was getting a lot of attention from Sceptile, Infernape, and Glalie. But it seemed like Roserade was enjoying the attention she was getting from the male Pokemon unlike Ash's bashful Gardevoir before. Ash even heard Roserade suggesting some naughty things to the trio which nearly caused Ash's Pokemon to faint.

Cynthia's Gastrodon was by far the weirdest of the group of Pokemon Cynthia has. Weirder than Spiritomb. Gastrodon always just slithered to one of Ash's Pokemon, stared at them for about five minutes straight and in the next second, she slithered to another one. Repeating this over and over again.

Ash had to chuckle when he saw Cynthia's and his own Milotic. Ash's Milotic wrapped herself around Kingler and was shooing Cynthia's Milotic away from them. Which was pointless and Cynthia's Milotic was still trying to get between them. Poor Kingler had no idea what was happening.

Then there were the Garchomps. It was easy to see that Cynthia's Garchomp was eyeing Sableye and was getting ready to destroy him not just by her stare. Thankfully Ash's Garchomp stopped it before the fight could even start. Which Cynthia's Garchomp did not take lightly and they start to argue again.

But all in all, the Haven was in a great mood. Pokemon talking to each other, some jokes here and there, one could forget they were even on a mission to save the world in the first place.

" _It's nice, isn't it?"_ asked Pikachu in his pokespeech with a warm smile on his face. Seems like Ash wasn't the only one who registered the great mood in the Haven. Looking at his own Pokemon family having a great time, Ash could only agree.

"It sure is Pikachu."

But there was one Pokemon that was staring at Ash the whole time. A Pokemon sitting just beside him with a look that said something is on his mind. "Is something bothering you, Mewtwo?" asked Ash finishing his slice of pizza.

" _No. But there is something bothering you."_ said Mewtwo still with eyes glued to Ash.

"Apart from the obvious such as Team Rocket and my left hand, no." replied Ash still not knowing why Mewtwo was so deep in thoughts.

" _And what about your sleep?"_ asked Mewtwo.

Sleep. Those nightmares just refuse to disappear. But somehow, he doesn't feel the torture in those dreams. Well in the beginning yes. He can recall it clearly. The desperation. The longing for death to come. How he was shouting and begging Domino to kill him. But then, again, that blue aura hand made the torture painless. He was still getting stabbed, but he didn't feel it. And today, it was not just Aura hand.

"It's a little complicated in that department." said Ash, sadly. So Mewtwo knows about his nightmares. Dammit.

" _Then tell me what is happening in your sleep."_ said Mewtwo.

No point in hiding it now. So Ash told him what he wanted. However, Ash didn't go into much detail. Basically what he said to Mewtwo was that he was tortured and somehow Aura makes the torture painless in those dreams. Sometimes.

" _Do you know why it is painless?"_ asked Mewtwo curiously.

"No." replied Ash.

" _I think you should thank lady Shirona. She is the reason why you don't feel the torture."_ said Mewtwo.

"Huh? What do you mean by that?" asked confused Ash.

" _Last night you were screaming in your sleep. You had the nightmare. We tried to wake you up, but you just refused to wake up no matter what we did. Then lady Shirona came over and with a simple touch, you stopped screaming."_ replied Mewtwo.

"Was that why she was in my sleeping bag with me?" asked Ash.

" _Yes."_

So that's the reason. Now it makes much more sense than before. He really can't give her a break, can he? Because he has bad dreams she has to stay with him throughout the night like he is some baby. " _I am really pathetic."_ he thought.

" _I think I can help you, Ash."_ said Mewtwo

"I don't want my memories altered or changed Mewtwo." replied Ash already knowing what Mewtwo had in mind for him.

" _Why not? You know that it would ease your soul if you would not remember it."_ said Mewtwo.

"As much as I would want to not go through that experience, I did. It is now part of me and I have to deal with it alone." said Ash.

" _You don't have to do everything alone, Ash."_ said Mewtwo back.

"I know. And it is tempting to forget about it all. But I had my memories wiped once by you and let me tell you, it was not pleasant. I always knew something was just missing in my head. And I could not figure out what it was no matter how hard I tried. I don't want to feel like that again. Even though I am broken right now, I am still whole. I wouldn't have that 'whole' feeling if you would wipe my memories." said Ash.

" _I don't have to wipe them out. I can alter them, Ash. I know how now."_ said Mewtwo.

"And how would you explain the scars to me? Some explosion? Pokemon fight? Yeah, right. That would create a scar like a lightning collar on my neck. No. I don't want someone in my head again. I went through it dozen of times and I don't want to to have my head being manipulated with ever again. As one wise lady once said. "The bad memories will always be there. The only thing you can do is try to beat them with the joyful ones." And I intend to follow the advice she gave me." said Ash. And that's not the only reason.

It's barbaric, but he wants to remember what they did to him when he will make his way through the grunts in their HQ. There he will release all of his frustrations and anger. And once he does, they will know that day of reckoning has come. Just like his father promised them.

They should have killed him when they had a chance. That was their grave mistake. And his great luck. Where are they anyway? The trio couldn't get far in the massive storm. Are they OK? Did any of them of them get seriously injured? Or worse? Ash could never forgive himself if it would come to that.

" _Fine, Ash. If that's what you wish. But what about your lively nightmares? We will not fall asleep with you shouting in your sleep."_ said Mewtwo.

" _Well, he can always sleep with Cynthia. I think Ash rather enjoyed it. Am I right?"_ asked Pikachu trying to lighten up the mood.

"You know me far too well, buddy." said Ash and he chuckled. "But I don't want to force Cynthia, into something she is not comfortable with again. She already has it hard as it is. Just find me some cloth gag and I should be fine."

"Force me into what?" asked the gentle voice approaching the campfire.

Cynthia emerged from the bushes and she looked gorgeous as always. With a towel on her head, she approached walking through the grass in the cave, barefoot, like some lady of the Forest. At least that is how Ash saw it. And Arceus that blue bathrobe she is wearing is too small for Cynthia in certain areas. Shaking those thoughts off, Ash had to calm himself again. These inappropriate thoughts are creeping their way into his mind too often lately. What the hell is wrong with him? Ash had an important matter to discuss!

"Thank you, Cynthia." said Ash, sincerely, to which Cynthia chuckled and answered.

"Why? I didn't do anything."

"Subduing my nightmares is doing something. At least for me." said Ash. Thinking about it, why was it her touch that calmed him down? Another Aura power?

Cynthia looked surprised and she even blushed a little. No doubt thinking about how the morning between the two of them went.

"O-Ou. That? It-It was nothing." Cynthia stuttered out the answer. Yeah, just like he thought, it was pretty embarrassing for her. She really does look cute though. He will miss that face when he wakes up in the morning with a gag in his mouth instead of a scent of vanilla.

"Nonetheless I appreciate it. Mewtwo told me why you went into my sleeping bag." said Ash and Cynthia again turned scarlet.

" _I told Ash that you went into Ash's sleeping bag to subdue his nightmares."_ said Mewtwo. And for some reason, Cynthia released a sigh of relief. " _Is there something I am not aware of?"_ Ash thought when he saw Cynthia's reaction.

"So from now on, you can sleep in your own sleeping bag." said Ash.

"Thanks." Cynthia replied but quickly followed her thanks with a question. "But what about your nightmares? Will you still have them?"

"..."

"I take that as a yes..." Cynthia said sadly.

"I will make sure I will not disturb your sleep tonight, Cynthia. Just sleep well and do not worry about me." said Ash.

"I worry about you. Ash, you want to get your hand cut off. You... You want to die in those nightmares. I just want to help you get rid of them." she said.

"You are kind. But, I can't force you to sleep with me every time some bad dream comes up. It's not right." said Ash.

"I was heading to another Champion meeting one day. I expect the usual. Steven's flirting with Caitlin. Caitlin slapping Steven when his comments would get really naughty and off hand. Lance's stern face which wouldn't light up unless his wife was near him. And of course Tobias's creepy, quiet, presence in the room, to which I am still getting used to. But not even a few minutes into the meeting, strange things began to happen." Cynthia started.

"Cynthia. Where are you going with this?" asked Ash. This doesn't tie up to their situation at all.

"Blue aura lines and stains began to appear on my body." said Cynthia and she made her way to Ash and sat down next to him with all the other Pokemon.

"W-What?" asked Ash in a confused tone.

"A meeting was going on. Charles was talking about something I can't recall right now, when I felt a tingle in my right shoulder. And out of nowhere, a small blue cut glowed from my shoulder from right here." she said and tucked Ash's shirt over his right shoulder to reveal a stab wound from the shiv he received. She gently scraped over the wound with her gentle and soft hands before parting her pink lips and start talking again

"That was the first one. Am I right?" she asked looking Ash into the eyes.

Ash visibly tensed when she looked at him. He doesn't like talking about his wounds and the time spent in that small, dark and bloody room, but Cynthia's touch just makes all of his fears disappear. The tension disappeared as soon as it appeared. Ash just silently nodded to Cynthia's question. The nod was nervous, short and slow, but Cynthia caught it.

"Your forearm and chest were next to get cut. I know where they cut you. I know what they did to you. And I can still hear your plea. I remember your every word." she said with watery eyes.

" _Help. Please, somebody. Help me. Please. I don't know how long I can handle this. Please. I don't want to. It hurts. It hurts so much. Lucario. Mewtwo. Somebody. Anybody. Please. Save me. I am not strong enough."_

"And then the scream. The scream so raspy and deep I thought they were torturing a beast and not a man. I thought I was crazy. Everyone in the meeting room thought so too, but now I know otherwise. It was you." Cynthia said gently as a tear escaped her eye.

"I wasn't able to help you back then, but I will make sure that I will help you now. I will not let you go through these things in your dreams again if I can help it." she said looking Ash straight into his blue eyes.

"Cynthia. These are my demons to deal with. You don't have to do this." Ash said

"I want to. I want to help you Ash. If you will not let me in your sleeping bag, I will just lie next to you and touch your shoulder like I did in my bed. The Haven is much colder from my bedroom, but I will handle it. Now it's my time to help you. You already did too much for this world. And even a hero deserves a helping hand." she said, sitting still right in front of him looking into his blue magical eyes.

Ash could only stare at the beauty sitting right next to him. Angel in a black coat he once called her. He couldn't be more accurate.

But it is frustrating. Being weak. And useless. He is supposed to be the great savior of this world, but he can't eat properly without someone helping him. He can't cloth himself. He can't fight. And he is haunted by nightmares. It's hard getting used to this change since not so long ago, he had the power to bring an entire region to its knees. Now the world brought him to his knees. And it's really hard to get back up from such a powerful blow like this.

" _Lady Shirona is right. If you don't want me to help you, then at least let lady Shirona help."_ said Mewtwo.

Even Mewtwo? Ash hoped that at least his best buddy will back him up, but when he looked at Pikachu, even he had the eyes that were telling him to agree with Cynthia and accept the helping hand she offered him.

"Fine." Ash admitted in defeat.

"But you will be in my sleeping bag with me. We wouldn't want your pretty face to catch a cold would we?" said Ash getting back to his usual self. Cynthia blushed again and gave Ash a warm smile before standing up and making her way to Garchomp to calm her down.

" _Ash. If you won't take her, I will."_ said Pikachu on his left shoulder who saw the whole exchange. Ash in return gave Pikachu a hard look.

" _What? She is a keeper. I am sure she would treat me with ketchup and spoil me to bits. Who wouldn't want that?"_ said Pikachu.

"I treat you with ketchup and spoil you!" Ash retorted.

" _Hmm. True. Then what are you waiting for? Go and make her yours! The two of you together means twice as much ketchup for me."_ said Pikachu smugly and Ash didn't answer. He just laughed, but even though he was laughing, he couldn't help but wonder, what their life together would look like.

* * *

The black ceiling of his room was somehow entertaining to look at. Sitting on a soft office chair in his office he wondered how everything went to shit.

The grunts came back and said that they killed the Aura Guardian and Champion of Kanto. They even had photos of Champion's villa and the blood with bullets all over the room. And truly looked like they did their job. But the fact Domino was brought here unconscious just doesn't fit in.

Their stories were similar. Aura Guardian brought Domino down before a salvage of bullets pierced his and Champions body leaving them dead. That would make sense, but then the Alakazam would not be summoned to Domino if the others were there with her and she wouldn't be in danger. What exactly happened? The grunts are telling the truth. Alakazam ran through their thoughts and it all kinda fits. But the thing is, there was not a single photo of Aura Guardians body or even Champions for that matter.

When he heard that the Aura Guardian escaped, he instantly recalled the words that Red motherfucker told him. For some reason, his prediction haunted him all the time. When he caught the Aura Guardian, he thought he indeed had already won. He even made sure that he will not contact anyone and that he was in no condition to escape.

Fuck that trio. Those bird brains. How could they come up with a successful plan to escape? They were always so stupid that they couldn't even manage to capture that superpowered Pikachu they always so dreamily talked about. Idiots. When he finds them, he will make sure Domino will put them through a lot of torture. And even when they will beg him to die, he will keep them alive just so they will feel the pain.

That motherfucker is alive. He is almost sure about it. It shouldn't be that easy to kill him. Bullets never even reached him so it doesn't make sense that now, somehow he would get hit by them. Suddenly someone knocked on the door.

"Come in." said Giovanni bringing his attention from the ceiling to the iron door in his office. Because Domino is still unconscious, a brown-haired man acted as his ‚secretary'.

"Sir. I bring two good news." said the grunt kneeling in front of his boss.

"Speak." Giovanni said without a hint of emotions in his voice.

"We found a trail in the storm. If our forces will move fast, Jessie, James, and Meowth will be caught very soon." said the man.

"Good to hear. And the other news?" said Giovanni with a lack of emotion.

"The Psychic experiments are nearly finished. In a month, you should have your own Psychic who obeys your every command." said the grunt.

Giovanni couldn't suppress his sinister smile. Finally.

Psychics were an interesting bunch of people. When his men and women in the lab tried to experiment with men and give them the Psychic powers, their brains turned into a mush. Literally. What it caused he knew not, but there is some difference between a woman's and man's brain that enables women to withstand the power of Psychics and men not to.

That is how Mewtwo should be like. An obedient Psychic slave who will obey his every command. Fucking Pokemon and his need for finding his purpose. His purpose was by his side and make the whole world kneel before him. Well, he will have a better Psychic slave. And the fact it will be a woman brings another plus onto the table.

"Good. You are dismissed." said Giovanni and the man left the room. Very good news indeed. When he will have one Psychic, making of the others will be a piece of cake. And how well can one Aura Guardian can fare against an army of a superpowered people? Plus his grunts and Pokemon?

He is just unreasonably afraid. Even if he is alive, there is no way one Aura Guardian can withstand this all. No matter what Red said, Giovanni will complete his conquest. And then the whole world will know and fear the name of Team Rocket.

* * *

 **Author's note: Pfew. I need a break from writing Ash and Cynthia. Another chapter will be how the world saw the death of Cynthia and Steven will come back from his trip to Mount Coronet. So no Haven in the next chapter. Probably. You know how it is with me.**

 **That's all from me. Faptime's out.**

 **Ash's Pokemon in The Haven and their moveset:**

 **Pikachu (Male) – Thunder, Quick Attack, Iron Tail, Volt Tackle**

 **Luxray (Female) – Thunder Fang, Crunch, Volt Switch, Wild Charge**

 **Bulbasaur (Male) – Vine Whip, Razor Leaf, Leech Seed, Solar Beam**

 **Meganium (Female) – Grassy Terrain, Magical Leaf, Vine Whip, Petal Dance**

 **Sceptile (Male) – Leaf Storm, Solar Beam, Leaf Blade, Double Team**

 **Torterra (Male) – Leaf Storm, Energy Ball, Rock Climb, Synthesis**

 **Feraligatr (Male) – Ice Fang, Crunch, Slash, Bulldoze**

 **Crawdaunt (Male) – Bubble Beam, Knock Off, Vice Grip, Harden**

 **Kingler (Male) – Water Gun, Metal Claw, Crabhammer, Hyper Beam**

 **Floatzel (Male) - Aqua Jet, Hydro Pump, Sonic Boom, Ice Punch**

 **Milotic (Female) – Aqua Tail, Water Pulse, Scald, Twister,**

 **Torkoal (Male) - Heat Wave, Overheat, Iron Defense. Rock Slide**

 **Typhlosion (Female) – Flamethrower, Eruption, Aerial Ace, Swift**

 **Infernape (Male) – Overheat, Flare Blitz, Mach Punch, Dig**

 **Charizard (Male) – Flamethrower, Dragon Rage, Dragon Tail, Seismic Toss**

 **Noctowl (Male) – Confusion, Sky Attack, Air Slash, Extrasensory**

 **Swellow (Male) – U-Turn, Roost, Aerial Ace, Double Team**

 **Staraptor (Male) – Quick Attack, Wing Attack, Brave Bird, Close Combat**

 **Tauros x30 (Males) – Fissure, Take Down, Horn Attack, Zen Headbutt**

 **Snorlax (Male) – Ice Punch, Rest, Hyper Beam, Body Slam**

 **Donphan (Male) – Rollout, Earthquake, Take Down, Hyper Beam**

 **Gliscor (Male) – X-Scissor, Fire Fang, Giga Impact, Stone Edge**

 **Heracross (Male) – Megahorn, Sleep Talk, Focus Punch, Hyper Beam**

 **Muk (Male) – Sludge Bomb, Body Slam, Mud Bomb, Acid Spray**

 **Toxicroak (Male) – Sludge Wave, Poison Jab, Sucker Punch, Low Sweep**

 **Glalie (Male) – Ice Beam, Shadow Ball, Protect, Crunch**

 **Garchomp (Male) – Dig, Slash, Dragon Rush, Draco Meteor**

 **Sableye (Male) – Shadow Ball, Power Gem, Will-O-Wisp, Detect**

 **Lucario (Male) – Aura Sphere, Blaze Kick, Bone Rush, Force Palm**

 **Metagross (Genderless) - Meteor Mash, Gyro Ball, Psychic, Flash Cannon**

 **Aggron (Male) – Metal Claw, Metal Sound, Iron Head, Thunderbolt**

 **Weavile (Female) – Night Slash, Metal Claw, Hidden Power, Blizzard**

 **Absol (Female) – Night Slash, Razor Wind, Attract, Fire Blast**

 **Tyranitar (Female) – Stone Edge, Earthquake, Dark Pulse, Dragon Claw**

 **Gardevoir (Female) – Teleport, Light Screen, Calm Mind, Heal Pulse**

 **Mewtwo (Male) – Psystrike, Psychic, Dream Eater, Hypnosis**

 **That's it for now.**

 **Reviews are appreciated.**


	23. Back from the dead: Better times

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Pokemon or any of these characters.**

 **Author's note: Late update again. Sorry. But with the fact that I don't have much time, and I decided to write the other fic, where I have to create bunch of OC's so the fic would make sense, it's hard to update regulary.**

 **And please, review and tell me what you like/dislike so I could improve on that.**

 **SHOUT-OUT TO YoungsterAustin. I AM GRATEFUL THAT HE TOOK HIS TIME WITH THIS CHAPTER AND RAN THROUGH IT. THANK YOU!**

"classic conversation"

" _thoughts/telepathy/link"_

 **That is all for now. Enjoy.**

* * *

 **XIX. Back from the dead: Better times**

Why? Why is it always like this. Why does everyone around her always dies? At first, the bloody war took away both of her parents. She didn't even know her father. He died a long time ago, in the war that was raging all across the Kanto, Johto, and Hoenn regions. Three regions have risen against the thread that appeared out of nowhere and not even they could win. After the fourth region entered, the Sinnoh region, there was finally hope of victory. And together they indeed won, but at what cost? The Unspoken War as the people called it, took away the whole generation of humans and Pokemon in those four regions. Especially in the first three regions.

Nobody dared to talk about the war. Not that she could blame anyone. The horrors of the war took a lot of lives with it, and nobody wants to remember the darkest time in the Pokemon world history.

But the consequences of the war are still with them in the form of children without parents. But mostly without grandparents. That was the generation that took the blow.

As for her mother, she died shortly after the war ended. This time it was the childbirth that took her away. When she gave birth to her. Seems like childbirths are a common issue with her family, since birthing her own child was accompanied with a lot of complications too.

After her parents, the god took her husband away, leaving her with the son they made together. The loving husband who showed her what joy it is to be loved and be a parent. He was another loved one who died. With her husband dead, the little bundle of joy was the only thing that kept her sane during that period of time.

Then the world decided to kick her in gut yet again when they took her son away. The person she loved more than anything in the world was taken away from her. She was lost after that. Everyone around her died and she was kept alive for some sick reason. But the broken woman was given yet another chance.

Supposedly by a girl that was responsible for Ash's death. That is what she heard when the news of her son's demise reached her. She wanted the person responsible for it to be there so she could release her frustrations somewhere. But when she saw her, devastated as she herself was, she couldn't give her the blame. But even when she didn't blame her, the frustrations and anger she felt towards everything resurfaced from time to time. She was unreasonably dreadful to her in the first days of her stay when she lost control, even when she knew that the girl was innocent. But the girl always came back for more. Again and again, until Delia finally softened to her.

Now she can't understand why she let the anger get the better of her sometimes. Cynthia was a very sweet young girl. Not only that, but she was considered one of the strongest Pokemon trainers in the world despite her young age. The best example of the girl she would wish for her son to have. Maybe in some alternate reality, where happiness is allowed, she has her own parents alive, her husband alive, and her son and Cynthia are together. But not in this dark reality.

Delia always wanted to visit Sinnoh, but not like this. The grand funeral for Cynthia already took place at the Lily of the Valley Island, where she shed a few tears. It wasn't surprising that Charles Goodsnow made another grand funeral. Grandiose as the funeral her own son had. After all, they both were still children when they died. And even as children, their names are engraved in history already.

When she came back to the hotel Delia was staying, she discovered a letter on the floor of her room. To her surprise, it was written by professor Carolina. Cynthia's grandmother. An invitation to the funeral. A funeral closed to the public and only for the people that Carolina considered the closest to Cynthia.

It's bad when a parent survives their own child's death. One could ask what could be worse than that? Well, there is the answer. A woman who survives not only her daughter's but her granddaughter's death as well. Not to mention her husband isn't here, and professors Carolina's parents are long gone too.

And Delia thought that she has it bad.

And so here she sits. In a chair located in the room where you can smell the grief in the air. Black color all around the room which was surprisingly small. Carolina invite just a few handful of people, because Cynthia already had her big funeral on the Lily of the Valley Island, so there was no need for extravagance.

People could be heard whispering in the wooden room about Cynthia and what adventure every one of them shared with her. Only one woman was left alone and sat in front of the empty chestnut colored wooden coffin with roses on each side and a picture of Cynthia on one of the sides.

Carolina was staring at the coffin for nearly an hour without a word uttered unless someone came to her and paid their respects. She always robotically and politely replied and went back to watching the coffin.

Delia got up from her chair and made her way to the woman. It is her time to pay respects to the surviving member of their family as well.

"I know you heard it hundreds of times already Professor Sato, but I am too incredibly sorry what happened to your granddaughter." Delia paid her respect to the fallen girl.

She can recall the day when it happened. The storm finally ended and Delia went to Cynthia's place to give her Delia's own recipe book she wanted. She was so happy that she could finally share her secret cooking techniques with someone. Both Ash's and her late husband's cooking skills were... Let's just say you should never leave them near the cooker for too long. So finally there was someone who is interested in her own recipes. But on Cynthia's terrace, she knew something was wrong. The door was kicked open and the terrace floor was covered in blood and mud. There was a bloody stain like someone pulled someone in the house. Or out. Then the bullets, bloody bed sheets and the walls. Shredded clothes were all around the floor. Then there was a message on the wall of her bedroom drawn in blood. "No one is safe from Team Rocket. Not even the Champion of Kanto can escape death."

Panicked Delia called police shortly after she recovered from the initial shock.

"Thank you, Mrs. Ketchum." Carolina replied in the same nearly robotic voice Delia heard thousands of times already. Carolina looked at Delia for a brief moment before she looked back at the coffin in front of her.

The two women watched the empty coffin together in a complete silence. It was a tense silence but Delia did not dare to break it. That was until Carolina spoke.

"I am sorry for your loss too, Mrs. Ketchum."

"...Thank you." replied surprised Delia. That was unexpecting. And what did the professor Carolina meant by it? Did she mean Cynthia too? Does she know about how close Cynthia and Delia were? Or was she paying respects for what happened to Ash?

"Cynthia spoke very highly of you." she said without averting her gaze from the coffin.

"I- I didn't know that." replied surprised Delia. She didn't expect to have a conversation with the elder woman. The expression of Carolina was unreadable. It was almost like she went through this so many time that it doesn't affect her now. But Delia knows very well, that each time someone close to her dies, it's not getting easier. Quite the opposite. It's worse every single time. You are saying to yourself: This is the last time. But then, another one comes and you are not prepared again. It's a sad cycle.

"I think you should read this." Carolina said. Reaching into her pocket in her black dress, she pulled a letter out. This time she looked at Delia. Delia with raised eyebrows took the letter and began reading.

 _Dear grandmother,_

 _I know I can call you, but I thought that I will try to write a letter to you. It is said you should try everything right? And since I never wrote a letter like this, Delia suggested I should try it out. At least one time. It's kinda weird to write on the paper when I could just call to you right away. How could you survive in the time where a response from anyone took so long to get?_

 _Anyway, how are you doing? Is the research going fine? I don't go to tombs to explore too often lately. But I don't regret it. I have much more time for my Pokemon and I can overlook the construction of my new home. It's nice to slow down once in a while. You should try it._

 _I am doing fine myself. Can you believe that I am learning to cook and sew? Yeah. Delia got me into it. Saying those skills are always useful. And now that I think about it, it's really nice to cook something you want to and not always order things from elsewhere._

 _Even though it was hard in the beginning, I am used to the Pallet Town by now. Professor Oak himself comes by sometimes to examine my Pokemon and test them. I am sure you two would get along. With both of you being such workaholics and all that._

 _And I know I already spoke about Delia a lot, but she is a really great woman now that I know her. And the only one that I spend time with. She can be stern at times, but there is something about her that just warms people to her. I guess it's her motherly nature. I sometimes wonder. Is this what having a mom feels like? I mean she is a lot like you. That's at least how I imagine a mother to be like. Like you only younger._

 _She keeps an eye on me, she teaches me things such as cooking, sewing, and gardening. She is helping me when I need it. And embarrasses me when the situation comes. Now that I think about it, you two would get along pretty well too. But if you ever meet her, do NOT talk about my goth phase when I was younger. I know you always teased me that you will show it to my closest ones, but those photos are something NOBODY can see. Including the nickname you gave me. I would die of embarrassment if that ever happened._

 _Gosh, this is not like a call at all. So many things that I have to cram on the piece of paper not knowing what you would say to any of it. I hoped I summed up everything I wanted. Guess this is the end. Love you, grandmother._

 _Your granddaughter, Cynthia_

"I didn't think she would actually try it." teary-eyed Delia replied. It was just one suggestion she made when they were discussing differences between their times.

Is this how Cynthia saw her? As a mother figure? It was always kinda weird when Delia referred to the girl as a friend. The age gap between them made that term weird. Maybe they had that mother-daughter kinda relationship. With that realization, Cynthia's death hurt much more.

"You influenced my granddaughter a lot." said Carolina looking at Delia again. And again, her voice lacked any hint of emotions.

"I- I am sorry." said Delia in a low tone, not knowing what to make of what Carolina was saying.

"I didn't say it was a bad influence." Carolina replied.

That's a relief. And again, the silence followed. Delia, still holding the letter in hand, sat beside Carolina on a wooden chair and returned the letter. Delia tried to understand what could possibly go through the head of the older woman. Delia herself is in a terrible state after another close person to her died. How could Carolina take it?

"Mrs. Sato. If you will ever need help with something, you can always stop at my house." said Delia. She owes this to Carolina. If it weren't for Cynthia, god knows where Delia would end up. Like this, she will at least try to repay her debt to Cynthia and how Cynthia helped Delia.

"Thank you. I appreciate your help, Mrs. Ketchum." said Carolina. Now with a small sad smile.

"You have nothing to thank me for. I should thank you. You raised an incredible girl, Mrs. Sato. If it weren't for Cynthia, I would most likely jump off the first bridge I saw." said Delia sadly.

"I know that feeling." said Carolina, now finally with clear emotions in her voice. Sad emotions.

And both woman now paid attention to the coffin before them. The coffin looked really nice and clean. The wood was basically shining inside the room they are in. Ash didn't have a coffin. Not under the small tombstone on her backyard. But since Cynthia and her grandmother are wealthy, it's no surprise that Carolina would arrange something like this. Cynthia was the last relative Carolina had after all.

The only plus side of this all is that Carolina has nothing to lose now. Just like Delia. They are much more similar than they think. What could an unemployed mother and a famous Sinnoh scientist have in common? Well, when the right circumstances occur, everything is possible.

"You had an incredible child too, Mrs. Ketchum." said Carolina which visibly surprised Delia.

"Sorry. I don't intend to re-open old wounds like that. But I never had an option to thank you for raising a son who saved all of us dozen of times already." added Carolina.

"It's alright. But I didn't do the things he did. Ash accomplished it all alone or with the help of his friends. I had no part in it. There is nothing to thank me for." said Delia sadly averting her gaze from Carolina to her feet. It still pains a lot to talk about Ash. No matter how long it has been.

"Even if you realize it or not, a parent always has a part in their children's actions. As small as that part is, the influence of a parent is always there somewhere." replied Carolina.

"Still. The part to do the right thing. To recklessly jump into the danger without a second thought. To help people and Pokemon in need even if it hurts you. Or kill you. He didn't get that from me. That was my husbands part in him." said Delia sadly.

"Then you did a great job to keep the best parts of both of you in him." said Carolina.

Talking about all of this didn't help the mood. Even though they are at the funeral, they should share happy stories about the one who died. Delia doesn't want to be sad the whole day. Maybe...

"So. Cynthia had a 'goth phase'? She never told me." said Delia in hopes to change the topic into the more lighthearted one. Now that she thinks about it, Cynthia usually wore black. Until she moved to Pallet town, that was the only color you could see her in. Guess that was a little reminder of that time of Cynthia's life.

"Ou. She would wipe memories of all the people who saw her in the goth attire. She was really embarrassed by that phase in her life." said Carolina with a slight chuckle.

"It was that bad?" asked Delia.

"She died her hair black, black nail polish, started using black lipstick, her whole wardrobe consisted of black tight tops and shorts, with fishnet stockings and black knee-high boots. In my opinion, you can't even call 'shorts' the things she wore. And a spike on every centimeter of her black jacket." said Carolina.

"Rebellious teenagers." said Delia with a sad smile.

"Yeah. But it didn't last long. Thankfully. She came to her senses just before she won the Lily of the Valley conference. Since then, she didn't like to wear revealing clothes and being reminded if that phase of her life. It was cute though. How she would lost her composed nature as soon as I hinted at her goth phase." said Carolina.

Carolina's face wore a sad smile now too. The conversation between those two continued for the whole funeral. Delia and Carolina shared the stories of their son/granddaughter with an occasional chuckle when some funny story was shared. For Delia, the chuckle came when she found out that Cynthia hated being called 'Darling', due to the particular incident in her goth phase.

And as the evening came, only the two of them remained in the room still talking about the children they lost. But now, in a more joyful way then the sad and depressed one. Remembering the better times.

* * *

"Steven?" asked Clarance.

The expedition group that went to Mount Coronet was coming home. Of course, before that, they had to report to Charles on the topic of what they found. Which was more than enough. When the man called 'Red' left, the group discussed what to do next.

They didn't have any solid evidence if Red was saying the truth or not, so they tried to follow him when he left, but they didn't find him. They found a dead end with Red nowhere in sight. Clarance was spooked out by this. A man can't just disappear. After that, they reached the top, trying to find any solid clues, but they didn't find anything.

So the expedition ended. It was kinda successful since they have some answers for Charles. But if they are true or not, that is a mystery.

"Yes, Clarance?" asked Steven now dressed in his usual attire of black suit and red tie. The nine-man team was reaching a tall building in the middle of the Celadon City in Kanto region. The HQ of Pokemon league and home of Charles Goodsnow.

Speaking of Charles, he called them a few days ago. Telling them, the Champion of Kanto was murdered by Team Rocket. Steven was visibly shaken by the news. The two of them had a close relationship. Mainly because of their common hobby. And unfortunately for Steven, they missed the funeral, because they were still on the mountain when that all happened. Steven spends a week alone to recollect himself after he came down from the mountain. After that, he called the group of climbers, saying he is fine by now and that they will go to Celadon to give the report of the mission.

"I know you already told us that we can't be certain if Red told us the truth or not, but what is your personal opinion on that? Do you think he caused the tremors?" asked Clarance as they were walking towards the entrance to the big tall white building in the center of the Celadon Town.

"In my opinion, I think he did." said Steven.

"What makes you think so?" asked Jim in a booming voice that matched his tall figure and roguish looks.

"The battle we had." said Steven.

"And why is that?" asked Eric.

By now these men were finally inside the building and they were making their way towards the reception.

The building inside was one of the fanciest places Clarance has ever seen. Red carpets, golden chandeliers, red coaches that looked like pillows with maids and servants everywhere in this gigantic waiting room.

The reception was in the middle and behind the black counter was a short-haired woman with tanned skin, eyes black as night and a suit that screamed EXPENSIVE.

A lot of people in the waiting room turned when they saw a bell ring, announcing new guests. And it wasn't surprising when those gazes remained locked onto them since the Champion of Hoenn was here in flesh and blood.

"The Pokemon he used against me. I could see it on his face. He wasn't going all out on me. Not at all in fact. He was testing his Pokemon and their abilities. Like he caught them recently. He has something more powerful in his arsenal. And if these Pokemon train in the mountain, then it's possible they would create such tremors that even the villages near Mount Coronet would register it." said Steven during their walk to the reception. When receptionist saw them, she grabbed the phone and called Charles. Charles requested their presence immediately.

* * *

Steven opened the door to the meeting room and found out that they are not the first people that visited Charles.

Officer Jenny with some woman was already there. And by the golden badge on her blue uniform, Steven knew it was the director Jenny herself. And judging by what the other woman was wearing, she is a Pokemon Ranger.

"Charles, But how? We scouted the place hundreds of times already but there is nothing there!" said the frustrated female Pokemon Ranger. All three of them were sitting at the table and they were supposedly arguing about something.

"I do not care how! He finds these places in days! So you better figure out something!" said angry Charles.

Wow. Steven never saw Charles angry. He was always calm and composed. He could guess that it was caused by Cynthia's death. But maybe there is something more. Charles didn't strike you as the man you should fear at the first sight. He was more like a happy Santa Claus. But even Santa Claus can be scary when he wants to be. This was the proof.

"Charles. It is not that easy. You know that." said Officer Jenny.

"For us? Apparently no. For him? Yes. We look like incompetent idiots! We have to finally do something since our supposed savior vanished!" said Charles.

They didn't even notice that Steven with his party arrived. Steven eventually decided to make themselves know and he loudly cleared his throat until Charles registered him.

"Finally! I hope you bring good news. Arceus knows I need them." said Charles loudly.

"It's nice to see you too Charles. Director Jenny. And..." Steven stopped when he saw the Pokemon Ranger whose name he did not know yet.

"Solana." she replied.

"Afternoon Steven. I am sorry. I am not in the best mood these past few days." said Charles who calmed down.

"I can see that." said Steven.

"What news do you have?" asked Charles.

"Fortunately for you, I bring good news. I think I know what causes the tremors near the Mount Coronet." said Steven.

"Great. Sit with us and tell us what happened on your expedition." said Charles.

Steven took Charles's offer and sat next to Solana. Steven looked at his new eight friends that stood still in the room near the who were not saying a word the entire time.

"I am sorry, but I don't have more chairs ready for you gentleman. Hope you can stand while we discuss the things that happened." said Charles to the expedition that came back.

"I don't know if I can stand here for so long. The story we have for you Mr. Goodsnow is a long one." said Jim who was trying to keep his loud voice in check in the presence of Charles Goodsnow. After all, if Charles wants to know everything, they have a whole month of things to explain to Charles.

"Then we better get started. I have a lot of work to do afterward." said Charles calmly. And it sure looks like he has a lot of work to do. Jenny and Solana have to be here discussing something important too.

And so they did. Steven started explaining how they got to the villages first trying to get some useful information. Like when was the first tremor, if they were escalating in power, and if it ever happened before. With almost nothing helpful gathered, they set off to climb the mountain. The climb there was uneventful too, but then the juicy part of the story started.

"We encountered someone near the top." said Steven.

"In that weather?" asked director Jenny.

"We were inside the cave when we encountered him." said Steven.

"And who was it?" asked Charles.

"I don't know. But he calls himself Red." said Steven. Charles had to chuckle at the nickname.

"Why? Does he wear red clothes or something?" Charles asked.

"No. He wears a dark green cloak and a grey scarf around his mouth." said Steven.

As soon as he described the man, three pairs of widened eyes were on him. What is that surprising about that? Do they know the person he is talking about?

"Steven. Does this man have unordinary blue eyes, long black hair and beard?" asked officer Jenny.

"Yes. He does. How did you know that?" asked surprised Steven.

"I forgot to tell you before you left for your mission. Guess now is the time to enlighten you." said Charles. And Charles did so.

"You are saying I encountered an Aura Guardian?!" exclaimed Steven in disbelief to which Charles nodded.

"YES! I'm gonna be rich!" exclaimed Clarance out of nowhere drawing a lot of attention by his claim.

"What are you talking about if I may ask?" asked Charles with a raised eyebrow.

"You said there are no photos of him. That he is a complete mystery. Well, I have some pictures of him!" said Clarance proudly presenting his phone.

"If you will give these pictures only to me, I will provide you and your family with a new and bigger house." said Charles as calm as ever.

Classic. Charles is cunning and sneaky when it comes to things like this. Steven spotted how Charles is building his fortune and it is truly impressive. Most people are short sighted, so they don't see the potential in things that have a greater potential than they think. Charles can sweet talk everyone into what he wants. In the past, it was much harder, since he didn't have so much money. But now, being as wealthy as he is, it's really easy for him to get what he wants.

Steven knows very well what is going on inside Clarance's head. A completely new house just for a handful of photos? What idiot would not take that? Well, by now, Steven knows that Charles can make more money by being the only owner of those photos and slowly sell them to the press, gaining much more than one house costs.

"For the whole new house?!" asked Clarance with disbelief. His expedition friends looked at him with weary eyes. If they would just pull a phone and took at least one photo, they could have had that too.

"Sure. We can build a new one. So what do you say?" asked Charles with a smile.

"Just take the phone already!" exclaimed Clarance as he pulled the phone out and slide it to Charles on the table.

"Steven. Didn't the Aura Guardian said why he stopped looking for the Team Rocket bases?" asked officer Jenny.

"No. If I knew what was going on here, I would have asked him." answered Steven.

"There is something different about him." said Charles who was looking through the photos. Director Jenny approached him and looked over his shoulder to inspect the photos. She was the only other person, except the expedition crew and Jasmine who saw him.

"He didn't wear that cape last time I saw him." said director Jenny pointing at the picture of Red. More precisely on the left side of Red's body.

"And I don't recall this scar either." said Charles pointing to Red's face and his right eye. They had a pretty good description of him since director Jenny and Jasmine saw him. And these things didn't add up.

"Where did he get that scar? And why does he wear the cape? Isn't it impractical since he is fighting with a staff?" said director Jenny looking at the photo.

"If I may, I know some answers to your questions." said one of the men who accompanied Steven on the expedition to Mount Coronet.

"Charles, Solana, director, this is Mathew. He was one of the tech guys at the expedition. Mathew, I believe you already know these people." Steven introduced Mathew to the others.

"Well, Mathew. Go on. We are listening." said Charles. And indeed they all were listening. Except for Solana. She was furiously looking through her phone for something the whole time this debate began.

"My purpose on this expedition was to monitor the living beings and if it would come to that, examine the Pokemon who was causing the tremors inside the mountain. When we encountered the man, there were several things different about him. I was watching him carefully throughout the Pokemon battle he had with Steven." said Mathew.

"You had a battle with him?" asked Charles.

"Yeah. But that's a story for later." replied Steven. "Continue, Mathew."

"Well, I was surprised when his body temperature was higher than it was supposed to be. But the man didn't seem to have a fever. Now I know that is because he is a completely different species of a human being. However, he was visibly tired. And when I inspected his missing hand with the device, it became much clearer."

"He was missing a hand?!" asked Jenny. "But he had both hands last time!" added director Jenny.

"That confirms my suspicion. The wound on his forearm wasn't fully healed. He had to lose the hand recently. And as for the eye scar. To you, it may seem like an older scar, but I studied human biology long enough to know, that even that scar came to him recently. I think he was seriously injured not so long ago and that is why he hasn't attacked Team Rocket in this time period. He is still recovering from his injuries. That's the reason why he was tired." said Mathew. And before anyone could join the discussion, somebody shouted.

"HA! I knew it!" exclaimed someone sitting near to Steven. Looking to his left, Steven saw Solana having a great smile on her face and looking at her phone. She was unusually quiet the whole time. Well, until she shouted and nearly breaking Steven's eardrums.

"How could you know it? You weren't there!" said director Jenny.

"Huh? I wasn't where?" asked Solana slightly confused.

"Were you even here?" asked Steven.

"I was and I still am. When you all were discussing some boring stuff, I began searching. And I believe that what I found is much more interesting than what you guys came up with!" said Solana proudly.

"And that is?" asked Charles.

"Come on Charles. You out of all people should know. Red? Aura Guardian? Doesn't that ring a bell?" asked Solana.

"OH MY ARCEUS OF COURSE!" shouted Charles. How could he be so stupid and not make the connection there?!

"Uhmm... Of course what?" asked Steven.

"Richard Ketchum! He was called RED when he was with Pokemon Rangers. And he was an Aura Guardian too! Not trained, but an Aura Guardian nonetheless!" said Charles.

"But Charles. Didn't he die?" asked director Jenny. People know Richard Ketchum as the 'One week Champion'. For some reason, after he beat the previous Champion, he resigned just after he received the money from the Pokemon League.

"Yes... I saw his body. But who says Aura Guardians can't come back from the dead?" asked Charles.

"Really? Immortality? I think you are starting to get a senile old man." said Steven.

"I am not talking about immortality. His son was turned into a literal stone and came back from that. Who says Richard couldn't pull similar feat?" said Charles.

"With a hole in his head?" asked director Jenny.

"Look. It sounds impossible, but I have no other explanation. We know there are no Aura Guardians left. Except for him. The fact that he calls himself Red and is an Aura Guardian really narrows our possibilities." said Charles.

"Isn't that stretching things a bit? The whole resurrection thing?" asked Steven.

It all sounds so ridiculous. Well, he knows that Ash was turned into the stone and came back from that. A Pokemon Gym Leader named Brock shared all great feats of Ash with them. But still. Being turned into stone and be shot in the head are two different things.

But then again, things like nicknames of Pokemon Rangers were known only to Charles and Pokemon Rangers. So there are not that many people that could have known that.

"We live in the world where anything is possible. Do not forget that." said Charles seriously.

After it, the conversation drifted to a bunch of theories about how Richard Ketchum could come back to life. Or other theories.

One Steven thought about was how Red could lose his hand. More precisely, what caused him to be the way he was. Tired. Beaten up. Supposedly, he destroyed the Hoenn base, but with no prisoners to be taken by police. That was odd. Since he specifically said to Jenny to prepare more cells. Is it possible that they trapped him, fought with him and that he barely escaped? That he actually lost this fight? It could be. But it's just a theory. Like everything, they are discussing right now. Until they will meet him again, they can only theorize what exactly happened to him.

The meeting was going on for a while, since Steven had to explain the battle between them and the fact that Red's Pokemon were most likely the cause of the tremors. To say that Charles, Jenny and Solana were surprised when they find out that Steven lost would be an understatement. Then there was Steven's theory that Red didn't go all out on him. Adding another bunch of things for the debate. So the meeting ended late in the night, with bunch of questions answered, but more yet to be answered.

* * *

A beautiful tune was heard at the crossroads, where three different dirt paths lead to different towns. Right at this crossroads, under the tree sat a brown skinned man with a giant steel snake-like Pokemon who was wrapped around the tree, listening to the tune.

The harmonica which was playing the tune suddenly stopped and the man let out a big sigh. " _I can do better."_ he thought.

"What do you think, Steelix? Was it better?" asked the man with dark brown hair. Steelix half-opened his eyes and released a huff and went back to the nap.

"That's not very helpful." the brown-haired man said. Steelix didn't even react this time.

He noticed that it was getting colder. Well, autumn is around the corner so it was no surprise. Leaves were slowly turning red and fall from the trees and shining green grass was slowly withering and turning it's color to the bland green, almost yellow. Which gave him an idea of what kind of tunes to play next. Listening to the winds of autumn and the rustling of the falling leaves, he played a new melody.

As he played, he thought about today. It was some time since he visited her. Delia had a great help from Cynthia, so there was no need for him to constantly stop by to check on her. Brock was surprised when Misty called him and said she wanted to visit Delia after Cynthia was murdered. He thought that Misty already forgot about Delia. At least it looked like it. Other girls such as May and Dawn seemed like they forgot. Or didn't have time to visit. Both coordinators dived into training their Pokemon and winning as many ribbons as they could. Not that he could blame them. They are honoring Ash in a way. That fighting spirit he had was passed onto those two girls. So he waits for Misty at the crossroads he is now very familiar with.

Misty has gone silent for nearly two years. He remembers last time they went to Delia together. Misty was there mainly to apologize for her behavior at the funeral, which Cynthia appreciated. From then, nothing. When he called if she wants to tag along with the visits at Pallet Town, only her sisters answered. Apparently, she dived into Pokemon battles too.

So he was visiting her alone. Once in two months approximately. If it weren't for Cynthia, his visits would be much more frequent. Seems like now they will truly be more frequent. But why Misty wanted to visit now?

Hopefully, there won't be any emergency call from Yolanda. He never thought that his own sister will be his receptionist at his own clinic. His younger brother Timmy worked there too. Only as a part-time job during the summer holiday, but even that is something. Even though Timmy is only a cleaner. Huh, it's slowly becoming a family business. Well, with so many siblings, he could turn it into one.

Maybe he should expand a little. The waiting room is really small and always full of people and he has a lot of work there. Hopefully, Yolanda will manage in the time he will be gone.

"I didn't know you played on harmonica. You never bragged about it." said someone in front of him.

Brock stopped playing and he didn't even need to look at the person before him to know who it is. He would recognize that voice anywhere.

"Started a few months ago. Nothing to brag about really. It still sounds awful." said Brock.

"Sounds pretty good to me." said the orange haired girl in front him.

She changed during those two years he hasn't seen her. Slightly. Her orange hair was longer, reaching her shoulders and were flowing freely. She changed her wardrobe too. Her classic yellow top was gone and she wore a light blue jacket which resembled a raincoat. Her pants consisted of white tight jeans with a blue stripe at the side. Her feet were in white sneakers which looked pretty new to Brock.

"Glad to see you, Misty." said Brock as he stood up from under the tree and hugged his longtime friend. Misty returned the hug which didn't last long.

"Glad to see you too, Brock." said Misty. "And you too Steelix." she added when she registered the big steel snake near Brock. But the steel snake only half opened his eyes made a small nod and got back to the nap.

"Energetic as always." Misty said with a smile. A short pause followed before Brock asked the question.

"Misty. Why are you going now?" asked seriously Brock straight out of the gate. He doesn't want to walk around the bush with this.

"I knew you would ask." she said quietly.

"Then you already have the answer prepared." said Brock.

"It's just. I miss the old times. When everything was simpler. I miss us. Traveling the world, meeting new people and experiencing new adventures every day. Being on the road with you and... Ash. It was the greatest time of my life. And being at the gym, battling new trainers who are on the road like we once were. It brings those memories up. I guess I just want to think back, to better times with you, Gary, Tracey, professor, and Delia." said Misty.

Yeah. It was so simple back then. Being on the adventure with Ash was the greatest time of Brock's life too. Teaching Ash all the stuff he knew about Pokemon and then see him duking it out with Tobias was the highlight of his journey and what Ash learned on that journey. And with him around, there was never a dull time during their travels.

He was in a way more of a sibling that his true siblings were. He loved his siblings, but the fact Ash and Brock were on the journey for so long together, it just created a special bond between them. Ash was, is, and always will be his tenth sibling. The closest brother.

"So it has nothing to do with the fact Cynthia was just murdered?" asked Brock.

"That too. What happened to her is truly awful. And I know I shouldn't run off as soon as I apologized. Cynthia was there to help Delia when she barely has known her. I got angry at her and myself. It should be me to help Delia! Me and you! But I just ran away, because I didn't want to be reminded of Ash. And staying near Delia would do that. Now that Cynthia is gone, we should be there for Delia, as we should have been from the beginning." said Misty.

"Glad we can agree on that. Cynthia and Delia were very close. It may not affect her as much as Ash's death, but she will surely be still devastated. " said Brock.

"Yeah..." replied Misty.

* * *

The rock and water type trainers were arriving at Pallet Town. They could already see it from the hill that overlooked the small town. With Cynthia's residence which was covered by black and white tapes with "CRIME SCENE: DO NOT ENTER" written all over them. And not wanting to look at the image longer, they made their way down the hill to the town. And along the walk, Misty remembered something.

"I nearly forgot! I have something for you Brock!" she exclaimed out of nowhere. She reached into one of the pockets that were located on her jacket and pulled a bunch of tickets. Only thing Brock was able to say was "Huh?" before Misty spoke again.

"Here! We have a Halloween performance as Sensational Sisters a few weeks from now. And I would be glad if you and your family would show up." she said as they stopped in their tracks and Misty gave the tickets to Brock.

"I- Thank you, Misty. We will gladly go and see the performance." well, that was unexpected. Seems like she really wants to reconnect with everybody now. Life as a gym leader can get boring after a while.

"There should be just enough for all of you. Nine for your siblings. One for you. And two for your mother and father." she said with a smile.

"Although. If you have been hiding the future Mrs. Harrison somewhere, I guess I would have to add one more." said Misty teasingly.

"Sorry, but you are not getting rid of another ticket. There is no 'future Mrs. Harrison'." said Brock.

He wished there was one though. His love life was always a disaster. He always wanted officer Jenny or Nurse Joy to be his future wife, for some strange reason. Something about those women was just incredibly hot to him. Maybe the nurse and police outfits?

But by now he knew neither of those group of women wanted him. Hell, no group of women wanted him. People say he is a way to forward with how he expresses his feelings. But he can't just help it. It's how he is and always will be. And if the girls don't like that, then there is no reason to be with those who don't.

So Brock has the expectations now very low. It's kinda sad. He would take any girl that showed that she doesn't mind his straightforward, over the top behavior when it comes to love. That girl would have to exist in the first place, however.

It's hard getting used to the fact he may never meet a girl like this. Who wouldn't mind those crazy confessions of his. He knows he would be a great husband. And father. He raised all of his nine siblings practically on his own. And he accomplished all of that when he was just a teenager. Siblings that he loved more than anything. Even the non-blood related. He can only wonder how much would he loved his own children if he was given a chance.

Well, he is 21 so there is still a lot of time. But with the fact that his clinic gets busier and busier every day, his free time is shortening and with that is shortening the time he has to find the chosen girl, it's hard to stay optimistic when things are like this.

"Anyway. I heard you passed the gym torch back to your father and opened the clinic. How is that going on?" asked Misty, snapping Brock out of his thoughts.

"Better than I expected. It's still a fairly new clinic, and my waiting room is always full. Don't know if that's a bad or a good thing though." replied Brock and Misty chuckled.

"And what about your performances and gym. How is that going on?" asked Brock as they were walking through the Pallet Town now.

"Always the same. In day fighting challengers, and in the evening swimming through the pool with sisters giving performances." said Misty.

"Sounds exhilarating." said Brock.

"It was in the beginning. Now it's a routine that I am trying to break by going with you on this visit." said Misty.

"Well, we are nearly at Delia's. Seems like the routine will be broken soon enough." said Brock looking at the small house in Pallet Town they were approaching.

* * *

 **Author's note: A little cliffhanger . Sorry. But. Brock and Misty are back! Yay! I got the idea to include them since they were on the sidelines for so long. I have no idea what will happen in the next chapter.**

 **But I can say this. The chapter after that, the final battle will begin. I will make a small timeskip in the next chapter, and the final confrontation will begin in a following chapter. My intention is to make it detailed, so 2 chapters at least should be just the fight between Team Rocket and Ash.**

 **That's all from me. Faptime's out.**

 **Ash's Pokemon in The Haven and their moveset:**

 **Pikachu (Male) – Thunder, Quick Attack, Iron Tail, Volt Tackle**

 **Luxray (Female) – Thunder Fang, Crunch, Volt Switch, Wild Charge**

 **Bulbasaur (Male) – Vine Whip, Razor Leaf, Leech Seed, Solar Beam**

 **Meganium (Female) – Grassy Terrain, Magical Leaf, Vine Whip, Petal Dance**

 **Sceptile (Male) – Leaf Storm, Solar Beam, Leaf Blade, Double Team**

 **Torterra (Male) – Leaf Storm, Energy Ball, Rock Climb, Synthesis**

 **Feraligatr (Male) – Ice Fang, Crunch, Slash, Bulldoze**

 **Crawdaunt (Male) – Bubble Beam, Knock Off, Vice Grip, Harden**

 **Kingler (Male) – Water Gun, Metal Claw, Crabhammer, Hyper Beam**

 **Floatzel (Male) - Aqua Jet, Hydro Pump, Sonic Boom, Ice Punch**

 **Milotic (Female) – Aqua Tail, Water Pulse, Scald, Twister,**

 **Torkoal (Male) - Heat Wave, Overheat, Iron Defense. Rock Slide**

 **Typhlosion (Female) – Flamethrower, Eruption, Aerial Ace, Swift**

 **Infernape (Male) – Overheat, Flare Blitz, Mach Punch, Dig**

 **Charizard (Male) – Flamethrower, Dragon Rage, Dragon Tail, Seismic Toss**

 **Noctowl (Male) – Confusion, Sky Attack, Air Slash, Extrasensory**

 **Swellow (Male) – U-Turn, Roost, Aerial Ace, Double Team**

 **Staraptor (Male) – Quick Attack, Wing Attack, Brave Bird, Close Combat**

 **Tauros x30 (Males) – Fissure, Take Down, Horn Attack, Zen Headbutt**

 **Snorlax (Male) – Ice Punch, Rest, Hyper Beam, Body Slam**

 **Donphan (Male) – Rollout, Earthquake, Take Down, Hyper Beam**

 **Gliscor (Male) – X-Scissor, Fire Fang, Giga Impact, Stone Edge**

 **Heracross (Male) – Megahorn, Sleep Talk, Focus Punch, Hyper Beam**

 **Muk (Male) – Sludge Bomb, Body Slam, Mud Bomb, Acid Spray**

 **Toxicroak (Male) – Sludge Wave, Poison Jab, Sucker Punch, Low Sweep**

 **Glalie (Male) – Ice Beam, Shadow Ball, Protect, Crunch**

 **Garchomp (Male) – Dig, Slash, Dragon Rush, Draco Meteor**

 **Sableye (Male) – Shadow Ball, Power Gem, Will-O-Wisp, Detect**

 **Lucario (Male) – Aura Sphere, Blaze Kick, Bone Rush, Force Palm**

 **Metagross (Genderless) - Meteor Mash, Gyro Ball, Psychic, Flash Cannon**

 **Aggron (Male) – Metal Claw, Metal Sound, Iron Head, Thunderbolt**

 **Weavile (Female) – Night Slash, Metal Claw, Hidden Power, Blizzard**

 **Absol (Female) – Night Slash, Razor Wind, Attract, Fire Blast**

 **Tyranitar (Female) – Stone Edge, Earthquake, Dark Pulse, Dragon Claw**

 **Gardevoir (Female) – Teleport, Light Screen, Calm Mind, Heal Pulse**

 **Mewtwo (Male) – Psystrike, Psychic, Dream Eater, Hypnosis**

 **That's it for now.**

 **Reviews are appreciated.**


	24. Back from the dead: Lust and Chaos

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Pokemon or any of these characters.**

 **Author's note: I am so sorry for the late update again, but I have a lot of work now and there just isn't time to write these. Hopefully, this chapter will be to your liking. And it's a long one. So I hope it will kinda compensate for the lack of updates.**

 **Side-note. To those who are always asking about Ash's hand, You will find an answer in this chapter. Finally. You guys can be very persistent...**

 **SHOUT-OUT TO YoungsterAustin. I AM GRATEFUL THAT HE TOOK HIS TIME WITH THIS CHAPTER AND RAN THROUGH IT. THANK YOU!**

"classic conversation"

" _thoughts/telepathy/link"_

 **That is all for now. Enjoy.**

* * *

 **XX. Back from the dead: Lust and Chaos**

"This is so delicious!" exclaimed Misty.

"Glad you like it." said Brock as he gave Misty a warm smile.

"You should open a restaurant instead of a clinic! I can't believe what meals you two can come up with together!" said Misty.

"I don't think it's that good..." said Delia.

All three of them sat in a very familiar house in Pallet Town enjoying the food Brock, with Delia, made. And yes, it is delicious. Delia and Brock alone could give the best chefs around the world a hard time in cook-offs. And when they combine their culinary knowledge, even a five-star chef would be trembling before their cook-off.

Misty and Brock arrived 5 hours ago. When they reached Delia's house, they didn't expect her to be in her backyard, looking at the tombstones of her late husband and Ash. Misty and Brock thought they weren't heard when they reached her. They thought wrong. Without turning to face them, she asked both of them, if she should add another one. Another tombstone, this time for Cynthia.

Brock and Misty were completely caught off guard. Delia, feeling their surprised looks upon her, gave them the letter she received from Carolina. Both gym leaders didn't know what to do or say. It was all so sudden.

Delia again saw their discomfort and apologized for asking such questions and welcomed them in her home. Especially Misty, to which she showed she really does appreciate that even she came to visit her with Brock.

To get rid of the sad atmosphere in the air, Brock suggested they do what they do best. Cook. Delia gladly took the offer and began cooking with Brock as Misty went to say hi to the Oaks and Tracey at the lab.

The Oaks and Tracey were very glad that Misty showed up. It had been so long since they last saw her. Especially Daisy, who was very glad because she doesn't encounter many girls in her job, so she could finally talk to someone about things she can't with her grandfather or brother.

And a few hours later, Misty came back as Brock and Delia were finishing their curry. And to say it was delicious would be an insult to the food. It was indescribable. This is a dinner of Champions.

"Shush. The meal is amazing. I have never eaten anything like this. Your cooking skills really improved in those few years. Both of yours." said Misty, as she took another big bite of easy chickpea curry with coconut rice Brock and Delia made.

"Thank you." both of them said in unison sitting at the small table in Delia's kitchen.

"So. Misty. What have you been up to during these three years." asked Delia curiously.

"Nothing much. Battling challengers and giving performances with my sisters." said Misty, slowly clearing her plate of the deliciously spiced curry.

"I think that's plenty of things." said Delia with a smile.

"Mime Mr. Mime!" Mimey, sitting with them at the table, joined the conversation agreeing with Delia cheerfully.

"I nearly forgot again!" exclaimed Misty as she dropped the fork and ran through her raincoat/jacket until finally, she pulled a ticket.

"For you, Delia. A little gift." she said handing Delia the ticket.

Seeing the ticket, Delia turned to Brock and immediately tried to give the ticket to him. But Brock reached into his green, thick vest and pulled a dozen tickets from his pocket.

"I have more than enough Delia. This one's for you." said Brock with a smile, waving the tickets in front of Delia's face and then putting them back inside his jacket.

"Should have figured you already had one." chuckled Delia.

"I hope this does not mean you don't wanna come, Delia. I would be really happy if you would show up. The Oaks and Tracey are going too." said Misty when she saw the initial reaction to the gift.

"I will. Don't worry. I just thought Brock deserved to be there more than I am. I mean. I never spend to much time with you, Misty." said Delia.

"I know." said Misty sadly. But right after it, she spoke again, now with confidence.

"And that is what I want to change. I want to spend more time with both of you. I owe it to him." she said. Looking out of the kitchen window. She knew that she will not see anything except a night sky and a meadow. But what she was picturing in her head is the tombstones below the window.

"We all owe Ash a lot of things..." said Brock sadly.

The trio then resumed in eating their curry in an uncomfortable silence. And when they finished the dinner, the silence was even more awkward. In the end, Delia was the one who decided to break it.

"So, I heard rumors that there is going to be a big championship held here in Kanto. Do you know anything about it?" asked Delia.

"I heard from dad that it's going to be the biggest tournament yet. But I don't know any details. What about you, Misty?" asked Brock. His father truly did not share with him much. If that is because his father does not have the information about the event, Brock did not know. But Misty could since she is a gym leader and they are involved in these type of things heavily.

"I do. The league sent emails to Gym leaders with some information. Like that they would appreciate help in building the stadiums on Chrysanthemum Island. Being in the advertisement. And all in all, promote the championship. The email said that Charles Goodshow, with Scott, is going to announce all the details regarding this championship one month from now on the national broadcast everywhere. So yeah, it's going to be big." said Misty

"Sounds great. And will you two enter?" asked Delia clapping her hands together.

"I will./I won't." The two young trainers answered at the same time. Delia at the table raised an eyebrow and asked.

"Why not, Brock?"

"Yeah, Why? You are one of the strongest gym leaders I know. You would put on quite a show." asked Misty.

"I am not a gym leader anymore, Misty. I never really was. I do not like battling. I am and always will be a Pokemon breeder and doctor foremost. There is no reason for me to enter." replied Brock to the two curious women in front of him.

Misty could just sadly sigh at Brock's answer. She knew why though. Without Ash, the thrill of the fighting was gone. At least for Brock. And partly, even in her.

All the trainers that come into her gym are just so predictable. Coming to her with a bunch of electric and grass type Pokemon that she slowly forgot the names of the fire Pokemon that exists. That's why those gym battles are so boring. Always the same. Always going for the type advantage. There is nothing wrong with thinking ahead like this. It means the challengers use their heads. But still... There is no excitement when you can predict nearly everything.

"Huh?" said Brock.

Misty lifted her head and looked at Brock who was now looking at his phone. The phone was ringing.

"Something important?" asked Delia who was now observing Brock and his phone too.

"Umm... Maybe? I don't know. It's a new number... Could be a new patient... Excuse me for a minute." said Brock as he took his phone and went out of the kitchen to deal with whatever was calling him.

"Delia... Are you okay? After all that happened?" asked Misty when Brock disappeared out of the kitchen.

"That is a sudden question to ask." replied Delia.

"I am sorry if it came out rude. But. You were silently watching the tombstones in your backyard. And to me, it seemed like you were there for quite a while."

Delia sighed and answered. "Just reminiscing of the old times. Yes... I am fine. It's Cynthia's grandmother who I am worried about."

Though she said she was fine, Misty didn't buy it. Delia stood at the tombstones when they arrived and asked them if she should add another tombstone next to her husband and Ash. That would not be so bad, but the tone in which she said it. That is what worried Misty.

"I am sure she has some friends that help her out." said Misty.

"I am not so sure about that. She buried herself in work." replied Delia.

"Everybody deals with grief differently... Just know this. We are here to help, Delia. If you will need help with anything, do not hesitate to ask." said Misty sadly.

"Thank you. I appreciate it." said Delia with a sad smile on her face.

The two women heard footsteps approaching. And in the next second, Brock came back through the doorway

And his face wore a surprised expression.

"That was fast." said Misty causally.

"What was it about?" asked curious Delia.

"Umm... I got a special request to heal a certain Pokemon." said Brock still wearing surprised face.

"Which one?" asked Misty.

"It's a Seviper."

"And what is so special about that?" asked Misty with a raised eyebrow. Seviper? Special Pokemon? From when? But maybe it's the condition the Seviper is in that is 'special'.

"It's the person who owns the Seviper. The Pike Queen Lucy."

Pike Queen. Misty heard that name somewhere... but where? Misty is almost certain that she has something to do with Pokemon battles. Tough Pokemon battles. For no beginners. Something more challenging than the Gym battles. But there is only one place... Of course!

"That Lucy? From the Battle Pike?" gushed Misty.

"I am as surprised as you are." Brock said. He really was. He hadn't heard from her in a long time. Heck, last time he saw her was more than 3 years ago when Ash battled her.

"What happened to the Seviper? Is it serious?" Delia asked worriedly.

"Not at all. At least from what I know. Just a classic fever. Her Seviper should be fine in no time, but I don't know why she would call to me out of all the people because of something trivial like this. Even you, Delia, would identify it as a simple fever. And what is even more confusing is why to go all the way to Pewter City just because of it. There are dozens of hospitals and Pokemon centers all around the Battle Pike. And how did she get my number? She reqe..." Brock continued with his questions.

"I think you are overthinking the situation you are in, Brock." chuckled Delia who interrupted Brock.

"Huh? These are very logical questions, Delia. Don't know why that is funny." replied Brock, frowning at Delia. Misty, sitting right across from Delia, nodded in agreement with Brock. Logical question indeed.

"They are logical. I am not denying that. But you will not find the answer with logic to those questions." said Delia cryptically.

"Then will you tell me what this is about, Mrs. Clairvoyant?" Brock sarcastically replied.

"Gladly. But I need to make sure that I am not feeding you with nonsense first. Was there something unordinary in your talk with Lucy?" asked Delia.

"Unordinary?... No. I don't think so. Simple talk about Seviper's condition." said Brock with a thumb under his chin thinking about the whole conversation. Misty mimicked Brock and she also tried to find the answer to this riddle that Delia provided. " _How could Delia know what is going on? She didn't even hear the phone talk between them!"_ Brock thought.

"Really? Not even the manner how she spoke to you? No unexpected pauses? Stutters? Or signs of nervousness?" Delia, with a smug smile, asked the two young people in front of her. She could see the gears turning inside their heads.

"Hmm... Well. She stuttered for a bit when she asked me if she could go and see me at my clinic with Seviper. And even more so when she asked if I could check her own condition as well." said Brock. Not that it was anything new. A lot of girls were nervous when a young man like Brock has to do a regular check-up on them since both parties are so young. It was not comfortable for both of them though. Brock has to always restrain from doing his usual shenanigans with girls, rings and flowers. He would lose his license very quickly doing something improper in that regard. Now that he thought about it, he should just went with the degree for Pokemon doctor and not a human doctor one as well.

"Now Brock, what happened the last time you saw her?" asked Delia still wearing the smug smile on her face.

"Nothing unusual. We met her. I did my... usual thing. Got dragged away by my ear. Did my usual thing again... Got dragged away by Max again... And again." said Brock sadly. Maybe he should skip that part. "Then Ash battled her, beaten her and we were on our way for the next frontier symbol or the contest ribbon. Don't know what it was now exactly from the two. My memories are a little hazy in that regard." Brock told the rest of the story.

"That was a very short summary of what happened. I have to tell, Ash was much better storyteller than you are Brock." said Delia leaning back on her chair and crossing her arms. She remembers every detail of every journey Ash took. Not that it was that hard. Ash made sure she would not miss a single day of their journey with his narration. Repeating the same stories for days. Of course, he always avoided the ones where he got himself in danger. Which now seemed like he didn't tell her more than the half of the things that happened to him. Arceus above, what would she give to hear those stories again from her energetic son...

"Than... How did Ash describe the encounter to you?" asked Misty breaking the silence that followed after saying Ash's name.

"Well. To Ash, Lucy seemed... weird. You see, every time you did your thing, as you are putting it." said Delia making a small waving gesture with her hand. "And when Max was dragging you away, Ash noticed that Lucy was blushing while you tried to charm her, but what caught him off guard was that unlike the girls before, she didn't outright reject you after your blunt confessions. Or was shocked by them for that matter. Rather, she seemed very happy" said Delia.

"Delia! Are you seriously thinking that? Lucy? She is one of the most stone faced person I heard of! I don't believe that." Misty blurted out out of nowhere. Seems like the first one got the memo.

Delia only smiled again. "Well. That just further proves it. Stone-faced Pike Queen is all blushing and nervous around Brock. I think it's clear what is happening here to all of us."

Misty looked at Brock who was getting confused more and more as the conversation was going on. A smile spread across her face. It was about goddamn time for some girl to give Brock a chance. Misty's hand slid inside her jacket and when she pulled her hand out, another ticket for her performance was in her hand.

"I think you are gonna need one more after all." she offered another ticket to Brock. Brock dumbly looking at the ticket before him was still thinking hard what this all means. It took few seconds for Brock to get out of his confused state and jump right into the shocked one.

"What?! Lucy? She... You really think that she has a crush on me?!" Brock yelled out unintentionally as a small blush appeared on his cheeks.

Delia chuckled again. "Maybe. Maybe it's past a simple crush. Who knows. So Brock. Tell me about her. I want to know what you think of her."

And so a big conversation about Brock's love life began. Unfortunately, females in the kitchen were very persistent to know every detail of what he thought of Lucy. He couldn't tell them much about her since they spoke only for brief moments. But one thing he remembers very clearly is she was hot. Still is if the photos on the League website are actual. And she is not afraid to show it. She still wears a very revealing clothing. Ladies in the kitchen teased him a lot when they found that out.

"That's enough! I don't know anything else!" Brock yelled out desperately.

"What do you think Misty? Can we get anything else from him?" asked Delia.

"Yeah. I think he had enough." replied Misty.

"Why are you questioning only me? What about your love life?! Why are we not talking about that?" asked Brock.

"Because there is nothing to talk about. Forever single." said Misty in a tone that suggested that she isn't even bothered by that fact. "And what about you, Delia. You have been out of the game for a long time. I think it's time to get back in. You still have it." said Misty teasingly.

"No." was a sudden, short, quick and dark response from Delia. Even when Misty was surprised by the unfriendly response, she wasn't going to drop the topic.

"You still do. I think it would be better if you moved on Delia. You ca..."

"No." was a quiet response from Delia.

Brock was observing this with a keen eye. The mood turned very quickly into this intense atmosphere. He should probably stop it. Delia never likes to talk about her husband and moving on from his death. He didn't know how to help her. He tried to be nice. But maybe what she needs is someone like Misty to push her out of the comfort zone.

"Delia. I... I am not saying to forget your husband or anything like that. It's just. You still are young. And living alone will do no good for you. We are just worried about you." said Misty looking at Brock who was supporting her with just the look on his face.

"Says someone who stays single." retorted Delia.

"I am like that. However, you are the motherly and caring type. This lonely single life doesn't suit you. You can always try to find someone else. You wi-"

"I CAN'T!" yelled out Delia surprising everyone in the room with the strong desperate yell that filled the kitchen.

"Delia. Of course, you can. Nobody will be mad if you will. I am sure that Richard and Ash would want that for you and not be depressed all the time." Brock got up and put a hand on Delia's shoulder trying to calm her down. This was getting out of the control. Brock knew this was a sensitive topic, but he didn't expect this outburst.

"You two don't understand. I can't even if I tried to." said Delia, quietly, as her eyes began glistering and a sad expression conjured.

"What are you talking about?" asked Brock.

Delia now saw that both of them were observing her with curious eyes. Delia sighed and stood from her chair. Brock and Misty expected her to leave after the outburst, but Delia lifted her pink blouse and tucked her right side of the skirt down slightly. Brock's eyes widened when he saw Delia do this, and even more so when he saw something that stopped every word he wanted to say to her.

"A tattoo?" said Misty not knowing what to make of this.

"That's not a simple tattoo Misty." said Brock when he saw the tribal dark blue tattoo that Delia wore on the lower side of her right abdomen. The tattoo was dim and barely visible. But he knew what the tattoo meant.

"I can't fall in love again because of this." Delia said sadly. Brock immediately began asking questions.

"Wait! This should be only on Aura Guardians! In the books it is-"

"Books don't tell you the whole story, Brock."

"What is going on?!" asked Misty, who was still left in the dark and could only look at the weird tattoo that Delia was still showing to the duo.

"That's not a tattoo, Misty. It's the mark that only Aura Guardians have when they fall in love. Well, that's what the book said anyway." said Brock.

"What do you know about Aura Guardians, Delia?" asked Brock. How could he be so stupid and never piece that information together?! It is so obvious now! Of course, the best source of information about them is the woman that married to one!

Delia covered the mark and sat back down on the chair as the two humans and Mimie were carefully observing her. Time to tell them everything. "Brock. I read the Crimson Decade book too. And it is pretty accurate for the most part about Aura Guardians. Even when that information is limited. But what it never says is what do the women Aura Guardians fall in love with go through. And what I and many other women before me went through is all connected to the mark I showed you." Delia paused for a moment to catch a breath. She raised her hand and raised four fingers.

"There are actually 4 stages of this mark that affect our behavior. The first stage in the book is described as a sometimes shining light on the Aura Guardian bodies with no mark on their abdomens. Richard called it a 'Choosing phase'. But don't be fooled, even when the Aura mark is not visible, it's still there, under the skin, unseen by human and Pokemon eyes. This mark appears when the Aura Guardian is entering his puberty. However, it appears not only on the Aura Guardians but on the person of the opposite sex he is most attracted to too. In this stage, only the males behavior slightly changes. He will become more and more attracted to his female counterpart as the time is progressing. It's called the choosing part because of one simple thing. The females are not bound to the Aura Guardian yet. Unlike Aura Guardians, they have a choice they are not even aware of. Either to choose the Aura Guardian or someone else." said Dela making another pause for recollecting her thoughts. Both Misty and Brock were listening to every bit Delia had to say.

"If they choose someone else, they will doom the Aura Guardian to a life without love. But. If they will choose the Aura Guardian, the second stage will begin. The 'Lust phase' as Richard called stage will begin when the female will finally admit that she loves the Aura Guardian. That can take place anytime from one day to one decade to happen. Depends on the woman. When that happens, the mark that I showed you will be burnt on their bodies. Female with the right side of the abdomen and male with the left side. And unlike mine, they are not blunt and faded, but in a rich, deep blue color. And when only the Aura Guardians suffered from their feelings in the first stage, now the emotional turmoil will happen to both parties. I remember that moment with Richard very well." Delia reminisced.

"He became very... possessive of me. You should see his face, when on my birthdays someone gave me a peck on the cheek. I could feel his death stare on those men that dared to kiss me like that." Delia chuckled slightly to her memory. " _Can't tell them what he did to me in the bedroom after though."_ Delia thought and blushed when she remembered what a bed beast Richard turned into when his possessive nature took over him.

"A-Anyway." Delia snapped out of her thoughts. "As Guardians became possessive, their female counterparts became as equally possessive. However, females didn't act on it as much as Aura Guardians, rather they were just really jealous when someone dared to oogle their precious man. Nothing really unusual from the normal point of view. However, for females, there was another thing. Since Aura is connected to emotions, and primarily to love, their love for the Aura Guardian skyrockets when the mark appears. That will happen to Aura Guardians too, but unlike Aura Guardians who have a great control over this power and emotions, the chosen female counterparts aren't as lucky. So, their lust and... libido" Delia chose the words carefully. "will rise significantly too. Their women will even go 'into the heat' once a month. Crazy times for the wives of the Aura Guardians." said Delia with the red face. Arceus, describing this phase to Misty and Brock is really embarrassing. Even their faces are red.

"A-Anyway, this whole lust madness will stop when the two of them enter the third phase. The 'New Life phase'. The difference between the other two and this phase is that this phase is only temporary. Once the female becomes pregnant, the mark will now be enveloped in the blue neon light. And it will be slowly increasing its brightness with every day closer to the labor. During this time, both parents will become very protective of the child. The two of them will become inseparable during this time. Aura Guardians will have this complex to watch every step of their partners to ensure that nothing happens to both the baby and the woman. Sometimes it is even a little creepy. It's very interesting how much power then the females have over the Aura Guardians in this time frame. When I expected Ash, I could tell Richard that I have a fancy for watermelon in the middle of winter and he would go for it to the end of the world if that would be what it took to get it without a question. On the other end, the mothers, according to Richard, are smiling day and night and are seen with hands on their bellies most of the time. There will be a big pride in the fact that the women are pregnant with the baby. And when the prideful mother finally gives birth to her son, she will retort back to the lustful women she was before with the tattoo returning to the dark blue color too. Though the lust for their man won't be so crazy as it was before. This cycle of lust and pregnancy will repeat itself until the fourth stage. The stage I am in." Delia said sadly.

"The last stage comes when one of the partners dies. The 'Suffering phase'. The mark will not disappear, only lose color a bit. However, the feelings that come with the mark will never dull or disappear. Once the mark appears on your body, you two are bound for life. And not even death breaks this bond. That's why I can't. I am unable to fall in love again. I am bound to love only Richard. And... truth be told, I don't mind that. Maybe that's the Aura talking through me, but I don't care. I know that I won't be happy without him or Ash by my side, so there is no point in trying to find someone else." Delia finished her long explanation to both of them.

"I... I don't know what to say..." said Misty. What can you even say to that?

"So you knew the truth about the Aura Guardians all this time..." said Brock dumbfounded just as Misty was.

"Yes. I didn't tell anyone because Richard asked me too. These secrets were passed down for generations in Aura Guardians families. But now, when there aren't any Aura Guardians left, I think I can let it out so at least a piece of their story will be revealed." said Delia. Delia hoped that she would not need to tell Ash about the fact that he was an Aura Guardian. That he could have a happy life even when he chose a girl that didn't want him. After his death, she realized how silly she was. For a few chosen ones it's a blessing. But for some, it's a curse.

* * *

 **1 month later**

" _It's happening again..."_ thought Ash still lying in the sleeping bag with his eyes closed.

It was early in the morning. Well, Ash thought it was since he felt really sleepy when he woke up in the Haven. Hard to tell time when you are locked inside the cave for so long. But what was more important was the fact that his thigh is wet. Again.

" _I thought that she kept records of her cycle after the first incident."_ sighed Ash quietly. Poor Cynthia couldn't look him in the eyes when it happened. Funnily enough, Cynthia was more disgusted by what happened than Ash was. He saw it as another bodily fluid that body has to release in order to function properly. Like sweat or saliva. It took a long embarrassing conversation to make Cynthia smile again. He didn't even tease her on this topic since she was so disgusted by herself and that Ash has seen it. And worse, his pants in which he slept in were covered by it.

" _Well, now for round two. Time to prepare some soothing words, Ash. Hmm... Maybe I should stick to the old way I dealt with it. Just a bodily fluid. Nothing to be embarrassed about. It's not like you wet yourself... Yeah, that could work again... Nah. I still need a plan B. She will have a counter-argument to make herself feel worse. So-"_ he thought but was interrupted when he felt the wet area grinding against his leg.

Wait a minute. The warmth she was emitting was increasing at a very fast rate. The Aura sense which was active with his eyes closed was blinded by it completely. That's not how Aura usually works when he wakes up.

"Aaaah..."

Was that a moan? And not the usual kind of moan?! He heard Cynthia near him. Breathing. No Panting. The pants of the kind, he never heard from her before.

" _This is not happening... No way..."_ thought Ash. He had to open his eyes because his Aura sense was kinda overwhelmed.

With open eyes, Ash realized now what was happening. And his face turned red. How long was it since he blushed out of embarrassment again? It's one thing to tease Cynthia about things like this. But actually happening, that's a whole 'nother matter.

Ash, with a jerky movement, turned his head to face Cynthia. Now seeing the expression on her face, there was no doubt of what was happening. Ash had his leg between Cynthia's crotch, and her crotch was slowly increasing it's grinding against Ash's thigh. This, of course, caused Ash junior to wake up too.

" _Aaaahhhh!"_ Cynthia's voice made itself heard again. Now with a higher pitched tone.

Ash just lied there, unable to do anything as Cynthia continued to grind against his leg increasing the pace with each second.

Ash released a quiet grunt when Cynthia dug her nails into his back. How did she even managed to get her hands behind his shirt? Ash could just lie there, on his side, with his back against Cynthia like a stone unable to do anything as Cynthia was continuing her ministrations.

" _Calm down, Ash. Calm down. Don't panic. It's just a girl grinding against your leg. You have been through torture, hellish training and nearly died on several occasions. If I can keep a straight face there, what is one girl's wet dream compared to that? Just calm down..."_ blushing Ash tried to calm himself with deep breaths.

"Mour...Aaaagh Aghh!"

" _That's not helping Cynthia!"_ Ash yelled inwardly as Cynthia movements now were very fast and she clutched to his back like some Silcoon to a tree. With nails deep inside Cynthia began to drag them down, creating lines with small drops of blood on his back. Not that it hurt Ash really.

Ash didn't even dare to look what was going under the sleeping bag. It is enough just to feel not only Cynthia's slit pressed against his thigh but her soft, pillow-like breast as well. Not to mention those big mounds of soft flesh has a small hardened point which Ash can feel too. No need to get junior excited more. This is more than enough.

One thing he knows for sure is that they will need to clean the sleeping bag very carefully. His thigh is completely soaked through and through and not to mention, Cynthia's underwear is so wet he feels the small slit behind the black panties like there was nothing between their bodies. And bathrobe is similarly wet. If she had a longer bathrobe, this wouldn't be so embarrassing. Or if she at least buttoned up the lower half.

Cynthia's movements increased even more and the pants were now some incoherent words he had trouble deciphering. Suddenly Cynthia's whole body began twitching and she pressed herself against him even more. Ash's eyes widened when he realized what will happen next.

" _Quietly Cynthia. OK? Please? We don't need our Pokemon to ever know about this."_ Ash wished. He could just silence her with his hand, but he was still too shocked to do anything.

And then Cynthia finally reached her peak. Ash could feel how her nails draw some blood from his back as she clung to him almost painfully and shaking uncontrollably. The damp in her panties opened and more bodily fluid escaped on Ash's thigh. All of this was unfortunately accompanied by a very loud scream.

" **AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!"** Cynthia released the biggest scream Ash heard in his whole life.

" _So she is a screamer... Great..."_ Ash thought sarcastically. Ash could already see how other Pokemon on the other side started to wake up. Well. Since she woke their Pokemon up, explanation falls on her. This is all on you, Cynthia.

Cynthia still clung to him panting like she has run all the way from Kanto to Sinnoh. Slowly her visible grey eye opened. Expression dazed, tired and even slightly confused. Ash was wondering if he should speak first or let her figure out what happened. And Ash being Ash, he decided to listen to the theater that will unfold.

* * *

 _Meanwhile inside Cynthia's dream_

Cynthia was lying down in her villa in Pallet Town on the bed reading a book about some gardening tips for the very beginners. The evening this day was very calm, soothing with the moon shining brightly and illuminating her bedroom through the window. Suddenly she heard keys opening the door to her vila.

" _I don't remember giving anyone the keys."_ she thought.

She put the book on the nightstand, stood up from the bed and prepared Garchomp's pokeball to shoo the burglar away. As she was waiting she heard footsteps coming to her bedroom. Ready to fight she was prepared to attack this unwanted guest. However, as soon as the door opened, she saw Ash standing there. Now in his signature cloak, black long hair, and beard.

"Hey there, darling." he said to her.

"Da- Darling? Wha- What? What are you doing here?!" she asked putting the pokeball back on the nightstand with the other ones. What is happening? And how DARE he call her darling?!

"Well. When mom and little Richard are together, I become an unwanted guest very fast. So I came back earlier." He said with a chuckle.

"Little Richard?" asked Cynthia completely confused about what was happening.

"Don't worry. He will be fine. We will get him back by the end of the weekend. Can't have him spoiled by my mom too much now can we?" he said.

"End of the weekend?" she asked. What day is now anyway?

"Of course just for a weekend. He can't be without his mommy very long. And I bet you can't be gone for too long without your beloved son too." Ash chuckled again now hanging his cloak and scarf on the hook on the wall near the entrance to her bedroom.

Mommy? Son? Wait. Wait. Wait! She is a mother? Since when? How long? How old is even little Richard? And when did she and Ash even make Richard?

As Cynthia's mind stopped for a moment, Ash threw his shirt away kicked his pants off and slowly approached Cynthia. Cynthia realized this too late and Ash was slowly pushing her back on the bed until she fell backward and Ash was very close on top of her.

"Now. Since we have some time for ourselves. What do you say we finally make the best of it and make little Richard a younger brother." Ash said in a very seductive and unusual tone for Ash to speak.

It was now she realized that she had her very revealing nightgown on and that Ash wore only his trunks. A great blush appeared on her cheeks and she could only stutter out a response.

"L-Like. R-Right now?" she asked.

Really? That is the question she wanted to ask? Not why was he here? What is going on? When did they make a son? Just when they are going to do it? There is a slight problem. She has never done it. How could she be the mother? Nothing made sense!

"Well, since you are so adorably blushing and you are eagerly waiting for me in these provocative clothes, I say why wait. You seem to already be in the mood." he said.

Cynthia, still red in the face, could only watch that beautiful pair of blue eyes on top of her as she tried to think rationally at this moment. But her chain of thoughts were quickly interrupted as Ash leaned to her for the kiss. Her eyes widened when he pressed his lips against hers. Cynthia didn't have the slightest clue what to do at this moment so she just let Ash lead the way. Maybe she should push him away, but then again, she wanted this badly. So why deny it to her.

Accepting what was going on, she put her hands behind his neck and pressed his lips more against hers. Ash pulled back just so their lips where few centimeters apart.

"Well, well, well. Someone's eager tonight." he said with a cheeky smile. Cynthia, on the other hand, could only watch with a red face as Ash's Aura filled eyes were looking at her.

"Do not worry darling. I will not let you wait any longer." he said caressing her hair slowly. Ash gave her a quick peck on the nose, then on the lips and the chin. And just like this, he made his way slowly lower and lower down her body.

Breathing was out of control for Cynthia. She was breathing nervously with anticipation what will come next. Ash slowly made his way towards her neck and at the bottom part, he playfully bit her, which cause unintentional loud moan escape from Cynthia.

When she looked down she saw Ash smiling at her moving lower and lower. She expected him to stop at her breasts, but Ash's head continued to go much lower.

"As expected, you are already soaked through and through." he said.

Just now Cynthia registered the warm, wet panties she wore and the wet area around her thighs. She shut her legs together and tried to get rid of the raising heat the was building inside her body. How did it come to this? She feels so powerless right now. Not in a bad way. She is sure if she would say Ash to stop, he would have. But something was stopping her from saying it.

"Come on, darling. No need to hide this treasure from me." he said.

She wanted to answer but Ash kissed her belly button which resulted in another moan from her. His hands were slowly caressing her thighs until she became powerless again. Wait! Does he have both hands? Before she could think about it more, however, Ash, seeing the opportunity, Ash slowly spread her legs open.

"Let's get rid of this. I bet it must feel uncomfortable wearing wet panties." he said.

And with one swift movement by his hand, they were gone. He didn't even bother to take them off or tucking them away. He destroyed the fabric that was blocking his view of not caring how much this black lacy beauty could cost.

"Bon appetite." he said, disappearing between her legs from her view.

With hazy mind, Cynthia didn't know what was happening all around her. Sweat was forming on Cynthia's skin as the situation on her bed got more and more intense. And then she felt how Ash kissed her slit. A wave of pleasurable tingly sensation ran throughout her whole body. Without a time to regain from the sensation, his tongue was running all over the sensitive area making Cynthia a moaning mess. And the fact that Ash's bristle lightly stung some sensitive areas created even more mess inside her mind, and even on the outside.

Hair stuck to her forehead, hands running all over the bed, legs hanging from the edge of the bed involuntary kicking the side of the bed. It was overwhelming and she tried to close her legs to give her some time to breathe, but Ash held her tightly on the spot without a chance to resist.

"A- Ash. Sto- I- No... Don't stoAAAAAAAP!" Cynthia yelled out arching her back when Ash licked a sensitive spot on her lower lips.

Her body by now was yearning for release. She tried to tell Ash to stick his tongue finally in, but she wasn't capable of forming words right now. Not even her hands could be raised and push Ash's tongue deeper. He was still lapping all around the entrance without pushing anything in. And even just that was driving her insane.

Ash increased his pace which resulted in an incoherent babble from Cynthia who couldn't even speak properly now. The only thing she was able to do was grabbing the sheets tightly, waiting for Ash to finally give bring her over the edge, and pushing her hips towards his mouth.

And as she wished, Ash flicked his tongue over the sensitive bundle of nerves. That would be more than enough to sent her over the edge, but Ash immediately after it, bit the small bundle of nerves on top of her entrance and her scream rang through the residence.

" **AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!"**

* * *

Cynthia was completely exhausted. Not even the longest run she had in her life could compete with this. Panting heavily, she slowly opened her eyes to regain from the incredible sensations that shot through her moments ago.

When she opened her eyes, she saw a black T-Shirt. A very familiar black T-Shirt near which she has been waking up for a month now. The shirt was illuminated by a small light emitting from the wall above her. A torch. " _So it was a dream..."_ Cynthia realized she was in The Haven.

Still panting heavily she felt how her nails were holding something with a stone grip. It was a flesh. She quickly relaxed her hand hoping Ash wouldn't wake up. She was practically glued to him.

She slowly relaxed and released the convulse grip she had on Ash with nearly every part of her body. There was something wet between her legs. Very wet. Did she...

" _Oh no."_ she thought.

That dream was much livelier than she initially thought. Ash can't wake up. No. She would have to kill him if he would know what happened. Luckily, it seemed like he was still sleeping.

" _Good. Good. That's a good start. Now to get out of this sticky situation."_ panicked and flushed Cynthia thought, trying to find a good solution to this problem. There is no way Ash can find about this. He already is teasing her a lot. This would be like adding a fire to the sea of gasoline. She would never hear the end of it.

Cynthia slowly shifted in the sleeping bag and when she pulled her head from Ash's back she realized she wasn't alone. The whole crowd of Pokemon gathered around them watching Cynthia trying to get out of the bag.

"Uhmm... Hi guys. You need something?" she asked in a low tone trying to sound normal. But her tired voice was making it difficult. And the still rich sensation between her legs didn't help either.

" _We heard a loud scream so we came to see what is happening. Are you OK?"_ Gardevoir through telepathy asked.

"Yeah. Yeah. Just a lively dream that's all." Cynthia said.

"Lux! Luxray Lux Lux Ray!" exclaimed Ash's Luxray from the crowd.

Cynthia slowly sat up in the sleeping bag, carefully hiding her lower body below the bag. It wasn't that hard to entangle herself from Ash without waking him up. You could scream into his ear while he is sleeping and he would still not wake up.

When Cynthia saw Gardevoir, Gardevoir had a small blush on her cheeks. " _Uhmm... Lady Shirona. D- Did you. You know. Had your monthly problems again?"_ Gardevoir asked watching the ground below her nervously.

"W- what?! NO! Of course not. I- I know when that will happen again!" Cynthia shot back.

"So... D- did you. Wet yourself?" asked again Gardevoir.

"NO!" embarrassed Cynthia yelled out. What are these questions?! That seems mildly inappropriate to ask. And add to that it is Ash's bashful Gardevoir that has these questions is just much more surprising. From the crowd of Pokemon, she heard a loud sigh.

" _Lady Shirona. We were worried when we heard your scream so we let Luxray use her eyes to check on you two. Luxray saw the wet area between your legs with her x-ray vision. She even said that if that's blood, there could be some major problems because you lost a lot of it by your species standards. So if you are wondering why all these obscene questions, here is the reason why."_ said Mewtwo stating the facts not caring about the uncomfortableness of the situation. Gardevoir walked around the bush anyway. They would be here an hour before Gardevoir would come to the conclusion.

Cynthia's face turned red again. How could she now explain this? If she didn't deny the fact its blood or urine, she could have an excuse. But now it was too late.

"W- Well. It's not blood. So there is nothing to worry about." Cynthia said.

"Pika pi pi Pikachu." said the yellow mouse. And by the expression, Cynthia knew that Ash's best buddy knew what happened. That damned sinister smile.

"Don't you dare Pikachu. You will not tell anyone a thing. If you do, I will convince Ash to not buy you any ketchup for the rest of your life." she threatened Pikachu, quickly putting on the Ice Queen facade.

Thankfully it worked and Pikachu didn't say a word after. Seems like when ketchup is at stake, Pikachu will behave. Good to know. The crowd around Ash's room felt silent until Mewtwo decided to start the day and everyone got back to their duties and activities. Cynthia wondered if he read her thoughts and decided to get her out of the embarrassing situation, or if he just acted on his schedule as he always does. Either way, She is grateful that it is taken care of. When that finally happened, Cynthia let out a big sigh of relief. Now just get out of the bag and act like nothing ever happened.

"I have to say, you are getting better and better at handling my Pokemon with each passing day. It takes a lot of authority to set Pikachu straight on his jokes and evil thoughts." said Ash still lying on his side in the sleeping bag with eyes closed.

Just by his tone, Cynthia knew she was in troubles. That smug smackable tone of his. That could mean only one thing...

"How long have you been awake?" she asked praying to Arceus that he wake up just now.

"Since you began so eagerly humping my leg."

"I- I have never humped your leg!" Cynthia raised her voice.

"Really? Because my wet leg says otherwise." Ash replied finally opening his eyes and sitting down in the sleeping bag very close to Cynthia.

"I-I-I... It's just..." Cynthia stuttered out. Goddamnit. Initially, she thought that by now she would get used to Ash's jokes and teases. But no, it is the same as it was the month ago. Still blushing and stuttering when Ash teases her.

On the contrary, Ash wasn't tying her up during his training sessions, since she has been 'a good girl' according to him. And she even had a few Pokemon matches against him when Ash's schedule was open. And man was he strong. Stronger than her. By a lot. So she trained her Pokemon when Ash was training. She wanted to watch Ash's training as Aura Guardian, but she couldn't. You see, when she wasn't tied up, Ash forbid her from watching his training. She got the answer on why a week ago, when she, despite Ash's ban, peaked on his training. Unfortunately for her, Ash sensed her with his Aura and he quickly stopped whatever he was doing and dressed up. She saw him only quickly put his long-sleeved black T-Shirt on and walk to her, asking her to not do that ever again in a scary deep voice.

However, she knows who Ash is and wasn't afraid of him. So when she confronted him about why is he so secretive with his training, Ash tried to dismantle the conversation between them. Cynthia was very persistent, knowing this was some personal problem she can help him with and not some Aura Guardian's secret. After some persuasion, Ash, even when he was still angry, told her exactly this.

" **I DON'T WANT YOU TO SEE ME LIKE THIS! I DON'T WANT YOU TO SEE MY SCARS. MY BURN MARKS! MY DISFIGURED BODY! I- I don't want you to see my weakness. I don't want anyone to see it..."**

Then and there she realized why he never showed an inch of his skin apart from his face to her. Even when he went for a bath, he always emerged fully clothed. And in the night, even when his body was more warm than enough to sleep shirtless, he wore long-sleeved T-Shirts and pants.

A lot of convincing took place afterward. Telling him he has nothing to be ashamed of. That he survived something everyone else wouldn't have. That he should be proud, not ashamed. Then there was the thing that the scars actually added to Ash's sex appeal and not diminish it. But that may be just her. And she certainly can't say that to him when so many bad memories are connected to these scars. But still. The saying that 'Girls dig the scars' is more than true for Cynthia.

Now it made sense why she was never interested in the man that asked her out. All of them with perfect hairstyles, fancy clothes and sweet talking her with a bunch of crap. Just a load of compliments that she doubted were even in place half of the time.

The ones that asked her out could be compared to the knights in shining armor from fairy tales. Perfect men with perfect looks and behavior. Then there was Ash. A completely different story. He has to a knight in a shining armor as far as one can. He looks wild. Savage even. And scarred. But where the men before acted and looked like knights, Ash actually was one. Protecting the innocent and risking his life. Her mind came to an interesting conclusion. Ash wasn't a knight in a shining armor, but a knight in an old, worn out, bloodied, rusty armor that was used in a battle dozen of times already. Which for Cynthia was much, much more appealing than the other kind.

She used this analogy to get Ash back on the track. To not be ashamed of what happened to him and wear these scars with pride and not a shame. She even used the knowledge that her touch calms him down and she ran her finger across his eye scar to make him feel better. And it worked.

So from there, Cynthia was allowed to see how training of an Aura Guardian looked like. And finally, see Ash shirtless again which resulted in blushing cheeks and a heat between legs. She really dug those scars. Even more so when Ash showed what an Aura Guardian can do in a fight against a Pokemon. With one hand nonetheless. She doubted that Bruno from her own Elite four could beat him when she saw Ash's fast movements and acrobatic style of fighting. And Bruno mastered several martial arts already.

Ash is just so perfect. Or at least he has to closest qualities to a perfect man. She adores everything about him. Adores... Maybe that's not the right word. " _Do... Do I really lov-"_

"I think I broke her." Ash's voice broke her thoughts. Someone is waving a hand in front of her face.

"Huh?" asked Cynthia.

"Cynthia, you spaced out for more than a minute." Ash said.

"Ou. I- I am sorry." Cynthia apologized.

"Well, as long as you will wash the sleeping bag we will be just fine." Smiling Ash said.

Oh yeah. That's the situation they are in. She had some wet dreams in the past, but this one was the first where it felt real and very lively. How could she explain this to him?!

"Ash... I- I am sorry. I- I will wash the sleeping bag when you will be training. I-" Cynthia words caught up in her throat. She was about to promise it will not happen again. But how can she? She has no control over the dreams whatsoever. It COULD happen again!

"Cynthia. It's fine. Let's just say it is similar to my own morning problems leave it there."

" _No it's not."_ she thought. Being aroused and actually start humping someones leg are completely different things.

"Now. I will close my eyes and give you one minute to change from your soaked underwear. So you better hurry." Ash said with a smirk. Cynthia without saying a word jumped from the sleeping bag and immediately changed.

"I can't beat them alone..." said Ash quietly.

It was evening already and Ash thought about Team Rocket. He has to act now. His training went really well so far. It was much easier to learn how to fight with one hand than he initially thought. All it took was to kinda re-program his brain to the fact that he can't punch anything with his left hand. However, that doesn't change the fact he is in a big disadvantage. Bo is useless. And even when the speed of his right hand now compensate for the loss of the left one, there are places where that is just not enough. The same with the Aura shield and sphere.

"Then don't do it alone. Let me help." said Cynthia near him as the big fireplace was burning and all the Pokemon were finishing the Pokemon food around the campfire.

So she heard him. Damn it.

"I can't. You have to stay safe." he said. "You are too important to me." Ash mumbled under his breath.

"And what about you and your safety? This is not the way Ash." Cynthia said. Ash could feel how she turned to him and was watching him. Although she turned to him, Ash didn't turn and continued to watch the campfire before him.

"My safety is not important. I have a purpose to fulfill. Even if that means I will have to die, I have to put an end to this. For Kanto. For Arceus. And for my dad." Ash said.

"Please, Ash. Your safety is important. It's important... to me. Very important. Y-You can't die. Please, let me help. Place me with your other Pokemon around the Team Rocket HQ and let me have the watch with them there. At least let me help this way." said Cynthia who was getting very emotional. Well, he plans on going to the Team Rocket HQ and finishes this in three days. It is probably getting to real for her. And to say the truth, for Ash it was getting too real too. He is rightfully nervous about this all. The horrors of what they did to him are still fresh.

"I can't let you be there alone. I don't want to see your lifeless body with a bullet hole through your head lying on the grass. I would never forgive myself. It is enough that I dragged you into this mess you should have never been part of in the first place. You should be in Pallet Town, enjoying time with my mom and others. Not here." said Ash with head hung low.

"I know. But I am here. So listen to me, please. Do you know how it is for me? I don't want to stay here and pray for your success. I want to help somehow. You helped me deal with the fact that I was considered dead and that I hurt a lot of people. Now let me help you to deal with Team Rocket. Go to the Police HQ and ask them for their aid too. Go to Charles and ask him for help too! Place all of us around the HQ and let us do at least something." pleaded Cynthia.

"As soon as I would go in, Jennys, Rangers, and Champions would follow me. They wouldn't respect my wish to stay out of it at all and more innocent people would die." said Ash looking at his missing hand.

"You are an Aura Guardian. They will respect your decision. You just need to give us a chance. And if you lose, it's irrelevant if we will be caught with you there, during the fight, or later when they will conquer Kanto. You can do no wrong if you let us help. And being around the HQ is not as dangerous as being inside." she said.

" _Smart, beautiful, caring... You know. I am starting to think she is too good for a stubborn guy like you."_ said Pikachu jokingly.

"Yeah. Maybe you are right." answered Ash now averting his gaze from the fire to Pikachu who finished his bowl of Pokemon food.

"Sometimes you are too smart Cynthia..." Ash said, finally turning to her.

"So. Will you let us help you?" she asked him looking directly into his eyes hoping he would let her come. Cynthia knew very well, that being just around the HQ will not be enough for her. But Ash would not let her out of here otherwise. Just like she said, Ash is very important to her, and she will not let him go into the center of a crossfire alone. She just has to evade Mewtwo for these few days, and her little side plan won't be discovered.

* * *

Charles Goodshow was again buried in a bunch of paperwork in his fancy office. This whole Team Rocket thing, the Unova conference, Kalos league, Scott's championship, is all taking a toll on him. Not to mention that the news about Team Rocket and the Aura Guardian were released to the public. In addition the information about the death of Cynthia was released too. Which is still bothering him. Another sweet young child that death had taken away from this world. He is still looking for a suitable replacement for Cynthia as the Champion of Kanto. It is very hard to accept the fact that she is gone forever.

He didn't want to release the fact it was a murder and not an accident that killed Cynthia, but the information somehow leaked. And now, the streets are all empty in the night. Nobody dares to walk in the night through the streets of any town. In the day there are at least some people outside, but less than before. People have became very afraid.

Charles registered something that started playing outside. Suddenly, the whole bunch of trumpets rang all around the town announcing some grand arrival.

"Goddamnit what it is now?!" asked Charles.

Charles raised from his office chair and looked from the window. Ten floors below him, a fancy wine red chariot with hundreds of people playing trumpets and with two Rapidashes who pulled the chariot stopped in front of the Pokemon League building. From the gold decorated Chariot stepped out a beautiful young lady dressed in a pink long dress, platinum blonde long hair and a crown decorating her head. The 2 trumpet guys near the chariot took something from the back of the chariot and went to the doors of the chariot which pulled over.

"You have got to be kidding me..." sighed Charles. Now Arceus decided to throw the Queen into his load of things to sort out? Great! THIS IS COMPLETE FUCKING CHAOS!

A red carpet was rolled in front of the Queen and she gracefully walked on top of the carpet to the entrance as some people around on the street bowed before her presence. Some kids even got past her guards and give her some flowers they picked in the gardens in front of the building. This should slow the Queen down enough for Charles to quickly make his way downstairs.

"Mr. Goodshow! The Queen of Rota has arrived!" a young black haired lady stormed into Charles's office to deliver the news.

"I noticed. It's hard to miss an arrival like this, Donna." said Charles to his young, energetic secretary.

Charles went down and waited for the Queen to finally step into the building. What is it now? Charles hoped that she came to simply donate something to the Pokemon League or is here to help with the big Championship. But he knew very well that this will not be the case. She will need something. Like everyone else.

" _I am starting to think I am too much of a good guy."_ he thought.

"How- How long do I have to bow? How do you EXACTLY bow? I- I have never been in front of the actual Queen." asked Donna who was lined up with Charles and another man in front of the reception where she spends most of her time.

"Just repeat what I will be doing and everything will be fine lady Donna." said the other man dressed in a fancy black suit. Reassurance and calmness radiated from him with loads of wisdom and experience.

Thank god Charles has Jacobson. He would forget to eat if it weren't for him. He is his right hand and even a butler. That is a ton of work, but there are not many people Charles trusts so he chose his most trusted (and only) friend for the job. And his wage very much compensates for the load of work Charles handed to him. Jacobson was a slender, tall, bald man and as old as Charles with big ocular glasses, which kind of fit in with his job.

The sliding door into the building finally opened and the Queen, with two roses in her hands, walked to the trio waiting for her. The three people were on their knees as soon as the Queen took her first step and walked towards them. Charles could hear how Donna was whispering something to Jacobson. Although he heard something was said, he never knew what it was.

"Good afternoon. Rise." said a sweet yet neutral tone of the Queen.

All three of them raised to their feet.

"What do I owe the pleasure that the Queen herself graced me with her presence." asked Charles trying to sound as polite as he could. The guards at Queen's every side looking as dangerous as they could with pokeballs on their belts and spear in hands.

"I heard some interesting rumors about the Aura Guardian. And I would like to hear more from the man who knows the most." said the Queen.

Of course, she would come because of that. Aura Guardians were part of Queen Rota for thousands of years. It's the thing they are probably most proud of. Aura Guardians, like sir Aaron and Ash Ketchum. But still. Why now?

"If that's the reason for your visit, I would ask you, your grace, to come with me to my office and we can discuss it there. I have few files that might interest you." said Charles.

He could refuse. But he doesn't have the energy to deal with it. Besides, Aura Guardians are the very essence of Kingdom of Rota. Protectors of that realm and greatest knights that ever existed. So why deny the Queen access to something that is connected to the history of her lands.

"Sir Henry. Sir Oliver. You can stay here. I would like to have a private conversation with Mr. Goodshow." Queen Ilene turned to her guards and politely asking them to stay.

"My Queen, are you sure? We are vowed to protect you at all times." the guard bowed and asked. He would have used more forceful tone, but that would not end well for him. It's their Queen after all.

"I am touched by your concern, but I will be alright. This is a very secure building." replied the Queen to which the two guards could only nod.

"Jacobson. Take care of the guards and bring them refreshments. I am sure that they are hungry after their long journey." said Charles.

"Right away, sir." retorted Jacobson. Even when they were friends, he referred to Charles by his first name only when they were alone. So after his polite reply, he took the guards away with him, even when it was clear in their expression that they didn't want to leave the Queen unguarded.

"Donna." said Charles. The poor girl was shaking with nervousness. Such presence must scare her to death...

"Y-Yes. Mr. Goodshow." she nervously answered.

"Bring me and the Queen some tea into the office." Charles said.

"Y-Yes." stuttered out the young girl and she quickly walked behind her counter and started to prepare some tea.

"Your grace, shall we?" asked Charles as he gestured to the elevator on his left. The Queen looked at the iron box on their left curiously. She is from a kingdom that doesn't use technology, so it's understandable she finds the elevator interesting. After some hesitation, the Queen eventually decided to get into the elevator. Charles pushed some buttons and the door closed behind them

"What's happening?!" asked the Queen, surprised when she felt the movement of the elevator. She clung to the walls of the elevator in fear.

"Your grace, this device is called an elevator. It pulls us up into the floor where I have my office automatically." explained Charles trying to sound as professional as he could. Even though he didn't show it, it was a truly funny sight, seeing the Queen grabbing the walls in fear of what was going on.

"..." the Queen didn't answer Charles.

She was like a startled Deerling when Charles looked at the young Queen. When the ‚ding' sound was heard the Queen got startled again. This was truly funny. Just like when he explained how microphones work when she was giving her speech. The look on her face was priceless.

"After you, your grace." said Charles as he gestured the Queen to leave the elevator.

The two high ranking people walked for some time before they reached Charles's office. Surprisingly, the Queen hadn't uttered a word about elevators. Acting as professionally as Charles was. Guess this is going to be one of those formal meetings for Charles.

"Your grace." Charles opened the door to his office and let the Queen in first. She again carefully examined every centimeter of the room when she entered. Charles pulled a chair for the queen and Ilene sat down. Charles sat down in his usual spot too and the talk could begin.

"Where can I leave these?" asked the Queen, showing the two roses she gets from the children that greeted her.

"Here, your grace." said Charles as he pushed the vase with various flowers in it on his table towards the Queen. The Queen inserted the two roses into the vase and looked back at Charles.

"Your grace, what do you want to know about the Aura Guardian we found?" asked Charles his voice neutral.

"Everything." she said. After a sigh from Charles, he told the Queen everything he could remember.

"Your grace. May I ask why are you so interested in this Aura Guardian?" asked Charles. He knew the Kingdom of Rota didn't have any Aura Guardians for at least 20 years. And nothing was pointing to the fact that they would want to have anything to do with this ancient order again. After all, the fact the two guards she brought with herself were called 'sirs', which was once a title only an Aura Guardian in the service of the Royal family could get was confirming his theory. So did something changed?

"Of course. It's because of this." she said and pulled a small old book out of her dress. She pushed it slowly to Charles and let it there. The book was old. Very old. The leather cover is creased, scratched with holes, even was torn on several places thanks to which Charles saw the old yellow paper underneath.

"You see after we found the letter from the Queen Rin, I became very interested in the history of my great grandmother. So I gave the order to scout my room through and through to find anything else related to her. And something was indeed found. This is her personal journal." she said.

Charles looking at the journal decided to open it. Unfortunately, it was written in a language which he didn't understand.

Knock. Knock.

"Come in, Donna." said Charles.

The door opened, Donna with eyes black as night brought a pot of tea on a plate to the office. Hands trembling and the plate clinging to the porcelain creating a lot of noise in the otherwise quiet office. Charles could not look at the struggling girl trying to bring the plate any longer, so he got up, walked to her and grabbed the plate.

"You can go, Donna. I will take it from here." said Charles to her with a warm smile.

"Thank you, Mr. Goodshow." she said with relief and gave the plate with the tea to Charles and sprinted away as soon as she could. Charles practically heard the gigantic boulder fall from the poor girl's heart. Turning to the Queen and the table again, he made his way back to the table, and seeing the Queen's light chuckle, he said.

"I apologize for Donna, your Grace. Donna is still young and fairly new here. And when you arrived, she became a nervous mess. I hope you understand." said Charles laying the plate on the table and he poured two cups of tea to both of them.

"It's alright." the Queen said with another small chuckle.

"So, the journal. It's written in an ancient language I suppose." said Charles looking at the pages of the journal. The Queen took a sip of her cup of tea and talked.

"Yes. It is written in a language that only a few people in my kingdom speak. So, my translator already translated the whole journal to me. There are various things written from the earliest years of Queen Rin's life till the very last days, and of course, Rin's tragic romantic relationship with sir Aaron and the loveless marriage that followed afterward." said Queen Rin.

"My ancestors made a horrible mistake. They always married their children to the royal families that held the most power in hopes of an alliance, completely forgetting about the men that guarded the Royal family of Rota. The Aura Guardians." she said.

"The journal opened my eyes to this fact. It was not only Rin and Aaron that had this kind of tragic relationship. Aura Guardians have been forbidden to ever lay a hand on the Royal family in any way. Except when they were in danger. But... As we know, Aura Guardians have that Curse Mark. And when you keep Guardians near the royal family all the time, it is very clear who they will fall in love with and when the mark will appear. It was not the curse mark or wars that was mainly killing the Aura Guardians. We did. We forced them to look at how their childhood sweethearts which they were protecting all the time, married another man over and over again because we wanted more power in those alliances with other kingdoms. Which was pretty pointless since, with Aura Guardians, Rota could conquer the world. I am surprised that Aura Guardians didn't turn on us for how they were treated..." explained the Queen sadly.

"And when I heard that there is still one alive, I vowed to myself that I will correct the mistakes my ancestors did." said the Queen.

"And how would you do that." asked Charles. Now that the Queen mentioned it, this was the very reason why Richard Ketchum left the order and lived in Pallet Town for a time before joining the Rangers. Richard knew about all of it. The loveless life, the ban, and the curse mark. And when he was just ten he ran away. He was the last Aura Guardian under the Royal family before he disappeared to them. Well, not really since he came to Charles and explained his situation. Seeing the terrified, starved dirty boy, Charles took a pity on him and hid the boy in Pallet Town, with different name and with Oak keeping a close eye on the boy. Man, Richard was always a few steps ahead now that he thought about it. Even when he was just ten. It is not so crazy to think that he could somehow make a great comeback. Better not to talk about Richard in front of Ilene or he could get himself in troubles.

"I want to reestablish the order of the Aura Guardians under the Royal family of Rota. This time, however, the utmost priority will be the Aura Guardians and rebuilding their lineage. With no forbidden love between Aura Guardians and the Royal family. Whoever they will fall in love, they can pursue them. Be it some commoner from a poor family, a high born lady in a castle, or even the Princess or the Queen herself. No restriction for the Aura Guardians." said the Queen taking another sip. Charles took one too and chuckled after it.

"So. If he would choose you, your grace, would you marry him?" asked Charles. Now, this is interesting.

"Of course. I may not know him now, but which woman wouldn't want a husband like an Aura Guardian? They are always chivalrous, brave, honorable and strong. It should be every ladies dream. I can't believe how most of my ancestors were so stupid to not realize it." said the Queen.

"Did I mention he does not have his left hand and a nasty eye scar?" said Charles, waiting for Queen's response.

"No, but you said he was injured against Team Rocket in battle. So. First of all, that just shows his bravery. Second of all, scars add to my attraction to him. It all shows his manliness so there is nothing to complain." said the Queen taking another sip from her cup. "Besides, I am sure that you with your technology can make him some replacement for a hand. Am I right?" asked the Queen.

"You are very clever, your grace. Yes, my robotic department is already developing a robotic hand for the Aura Guardian as a reward for the lives he saved and for the criminals he already put behind bars. But it won't be done for a long time." said Charles. It is the least he can do.

"That is alright. So as I said, there is nothing to complain about." said the Queen.

"Your grace, the problem is, he doesn't want to be found. We know he is somewhere in Mount Coronet, but we don't know where exactly. You can't rebuild the order of Aura Guardians without knowing where exactly he is." said Charles.

"I am right here."

A deep voice startled both Charles and the Queen so much that the pot with a tea was knocked on the ground by Queen Ilene. Charles and the Queen turned to the corner of the room from where the voice was heard. " _I must be seeing things!"_ thought Charles.

Right there he stood. Just like on the photos from Clarance. Dark green cloak with the hood. Grey scarf. And black cape over his left arm.

"GUARDS!" panicked Queen yelled out.

"Shhhhhhhh! That's him! The Aura Guardian!" Charles jumped over the table and silenced the Queen with his hand. Couldn't the Aura Guardian dress less like a thief?

Queens' eyes widen in shock. She could only stare at the last Aura Guardian before her. Charles forgot to mention he was hairy... Well, if she will have to marry him, there are always scissors to take care of the bush on his face.

The Aura Guardian walked up to them and removed the hood from his face. "I am sorry for my sudden appearance, your grace, but I didn't expect for you to be here. Please, forgive me." he said politely as he knelt before the Queen.

The Queen could only stare at awe at the man before her. Even though she disliked his very long hair and beard, with those gorgeous blue eyes it seemed like a very petty thing. He wasn't that bad looking even with a whole forest on his face. And he had manners too. Just as she was expecting from Aura Guardian.

"I- I am overjoyed that you came. But what are you doing here? I am sure you wouldn't come here without a reason." asked Charles who got away from the Queen and sat down on his usual post with a heavy sigh. COMPLETE FUCKING CHAOS! How is this all even possible?

The Aura Guardian chuckled.

"I guess you can't be surprised by anything. Do you, Mr. Goodshow." said the deep voice of the Guardian.

"By now? No." replied Charles with his own chuckle. He may not show it, but he is surprised beyond description. " _He is still kneeling..."_ Charles thought. They are as honorable and respectable as they say.

"Very well. I will make this brief. Lady Shirona asked me to ask you for help in dealing with Team Rocket. I want Champions, Jennys, and Rangers all around the Team Rocket HQ and capture every single grunt that will escape from my grasp in the HQ. The inside of the HQ is to be mine. I have some personal business with the head of the Team Rocket to deal with."

"That sou- Wait! Did you say lady Shirona?!" asked surprised Charles. On the other end of the table, the Queen of Rota was still too shocked to say anything.

The Aura Guardian again chuckled. "Guess there are still things that can surprise you. It's a long story, but lady Shirona is safe and sound in my hideout, hiding from Team Rocket. Speaking of her, she will be commanding the operation around the HQ. I want all of you to listen to her every word. She knows my plan and I don't want anyone to to intervene with my plans. This is our only shot and I do not intend to miss it." said the Aura Guardian in his deep voice slowly rising back to his feet.

"You want me, to give you and Cynthia command over Police, Pokemon Rangers AND Champions?" asked Charles in disbelief. Cynthia's alive?! How?

"Yes. I think I am most qualified for the job since it was me who was bringing those bases down. Soon, I will attack their HQ. Regardless if you will help me or not. I can not afford to wait any longer. Too many lives are at stake. So. What will it be?" he asked.

And Charles thought he had the most authority in this world. Just the way the Aura Guardian spoke made Charles feel small. Well, he is a dwarf but that's beside the point.

"Fine." Charles sighed.

"Great. Now that's settled, I want Champions, Pokemon Rangers and Police officers meet up with me on Sunday in the Police HQ where I will pick them up and bring them to their positions around the HQ." said the Aura Guardian.

"Wait! That's in three days! Don't you have any plan to share with us?" asked Charles. This is the biggest mission that will ever take place, and it feels very rushed and unprepared.

"No need for some useless planning. Their job will be simple. Capture everyone who will try to flee. Nothing complicated or worth making some big plan for. Maybe give them walkie-talkie to have better communication but that's it. I believe that Police, Pokemon Rangers, and Champions can organize themselves." said the Aura Guardian.

"And what about Cynthia?" asked Charles.

"Lady Shirona will meet up with everyone in the Police HQ from where it will all begin." said the Aura Guardian his voice still unreadable and deep.

"Anything else?" asked the Aura Guardian. Charles's words were lost and the Queen was still dazed by the appearance of Aura Guardian.

"My Queen, meeting you here was an unexpected, but pleasurable. You are as beautiful as the stories say. Hope we can meet again someday. Until then, I wish you safe ride home and a peaceful rule." said the Aura Guardian as he bowed before the Queen. Ilene managed to say one quiet thank you. This was all too sudden for her.

"And Mr. Goodshow. Thank you for your aid in this matter. It means a lot to me and is a great help." he said "Well, this is the end of my visit here. See you in three days, Mr. Goodshow. And farewell, my Queen." said Aura Guardian politely. And in the next second, he was gone. Teleported out of here, like he was never even here.

"I need a vacation. Fast." said Charles and he slumped into his chair not caring the still dazzled Queen was right in front of him. Chaos. Chaos everywhere.

* * *

The room was dark, dim, and nearly without any light. The only source of light was the moon. The place is very spacious and resembles that of a storage room or a garage. Empty boxes, various tools on shelves and even on the floor were scattered all around the room. Also, there stood three big trucks near the entrance into the room.

In front of those trucks stood five people in total. One man and four women. The man wore his usual orange suit and the blonde women her usual Team Rocket attire. But then there were 3 other women right in front of them.

Those women were dressed the same. Pink and white long dress with various decorations on them. The only thing where they differ was the color of hair and color of skin. All three had eyes in various shades of green. One woman has short brown hair, the other long brown hair, and last one shoulder-length black hair.

The short brown-haired one has tanned skin compared to the pale skin of the other two women. All three of them had face devoted of any emotions and stood there like statues.

"Destroy the trucks." commanded Giovanni.

The eyes of the women turned slightly pink and glowed for a moment. The trucks were raised in the air by some kind of force. In mid-air, all three trucks were in an instant crumbled to single balls of iron. These three balls which were 2 tons trucks not even a second ago dropped on the ground creating a loud crash. Even when these iron crumbled balls were the size of the tennis ball, they still weight two tons. So a small crater was created beneath them.

"Amazing. And you say this is just a speck of their power?" asked Giovanni with a hint of satisfaction in his voice.

"Yes. They should be able to level whole buildings to the ground like this. We improved them upon their originals so they are stronger than the original Psychics." said Domino looking at the tablet with various data.

"How long will it take till we can make more of these?" said Giovanni as he walked to a black-haired woman and lifted her chin. She didn't resist. Didn't say anything. Just stood there, not doing anything. " _Perfection."_ thought Giovanni.

"It takes a whole week to properly make one of those. But the next one should be done by tomorrow." said Domino still looking at the data on her tablet.

"Speed up the process. Money, resources I will provide everything. Just make the process of making these faster." said Giovanni looking into the eyes of the women. Eyes that lacked any emotion, full of void and nothingness.

"As you wish, sir." said Domino.

Other footsteps were heard behind them. They were slow and they were dragging something with them. The scuffing of some material was heard. Three Team Rocket grunts came to Giovanni with sinister smiles on their faces. They were beaten up, tired, but the smile was still bright on their faces.

Three grunts threw something at Giovanni's feet. Someone more precisely. Man, woman and a Pokemon.

"They resisted a lot, but we managed to capture them." said one of the grunts.

Giovanni looked at the one before him. All three of them with hands tied up slowly raised their heads. Now seeing their faces, they were in a worse state than his grunts. Bruises, slashes and some blood was on their clothes. But Giovanni couldn't be happier. Finally, everything was working out.

"Welcome back. I think we have a lot of things to talk about, Jessie, James, and Meowth." Giovanni said with a sinister smile.

* * *

 **Author's note: Another cliffhanger! Sorry. Hopefully, the next update will be sooner. Anyway, I don't have much to say to this chapter. Finally some revelation about how Aura guardians work, but I still have a lot of backstories prepared for them. On why they were not allowed to ever be with Royal family for example. There is a reason for that too.**

 **This chapter was kinda filler-y, but I had to set everything up for the battle in the next chapters.** **So the next chapter the fight will start. The chapter will be divided into two parts so I hope you all look forward to it.**

 **Anyway, hope you enjoyed the chapter and see you in the next one.**

 **That's all from me. Faptime's out.**

 **Ash's Pokemon in The Haven and their moveset:**

 **Pikachu (Male) – Thunder, Quick Attack, Iron Tail, Volt Tackle**

 **Luxray (Female) – Thunder Fang, Crunch, Volt Switch, Wild Charge**

 **Bulbasaur (Male) – Vine Whip, Razor Leaf, Leech Seed, Solar Beam**

 **Meganium (Female) – Grassy Terrain, Magical Leaf, Vine Whip, Petal Dance**

 **Sceptile (Male) – Leaf Storm, Solar Beam, Leaf Blade, Double Team**

 **Torterra (Male) – Leaf Storm, Energy Ball, Rock Climb, Synthesis**

 **Feraligatr (Male) – Ice Fang, Crunch, Slash, Bulldoze**

 **Crawdaunt (Male) – Bubble Beam, Knock Off, Vice Grip, Harden**

 **Kingler (Male) – Water Gun, Metal Claw, Crabhammer, Hyper Beam**

 **Floatzel (Male) - Aqua Jet, Hydro Pump, Sonic Boom, Ice Punch**

 **Milotic (Female) – Aqua Tail, Water Pulse, Scald, Twister,**

 **Torkoal (Male) - Heat Wave, Overheat, Iron Defense. Rock Slide**

 **Typhlosion (Female) – Flamethrower, Eruption, Aerial Ace, Swift**

 **Infernape (Male) – Overheat, Flare Blitz, Mach Punch, Dig**

 **Charizard (Male) – Flamethrower, Dragon Rage, Dragon Tail, Seismic Toss**

 **Noctowl (Male) – Confusion, Sky Attack, Air Slash, Extrasensory**

 **Swellow (Male) – U-Turn, Roost, Aerial Ace, Double Team**

 **Staraptor (Male) – Quick Attack, Wing Attack, Brave Bird, Close Combat**

 **Tauros x30 (Males) – Fissure, Take Down, Horn Attack, Zen Headbutt**

 **Snorlax (Male) – Ice Punch, Rest, Hyper Beam, Body Slam**

 **Donphan (Male) – Rollout, Earthquake, Take Down, Hyper Beam**

 **Gliscor (Male) – X-Scissor, Fire Fang, Giga Impact, Stone Edge**

 **Heracross (Male) – Megahorn, Sleep Talk, Focus Punch, Hyper Beam**

 **Muk (Male) – Sludge Bomb, Body Slam, Mud Bomb, Acid Spray**

 **Toxicroak (Male) – Sludge Wave, Poison Jab, Sucker Punch, Low Sweep**

 **Glalie (Male) – Ice Beam, Shadow Ball, Protect, Crunch**

 **Garchomp (Male) – Dig, Slash, Dragon Rush, Draco Meteor**

 **Sableye (Male) – Shadow Ball, Power Gem, Will-O-Wisp, Detect**

 **Lucario (Male) – Aura Sphere, Blaze Kick, Bone Rush, Force Palm**

 **Metagross (Genderless) - Meteor Mash, Gyro Ball, Psychic, Flash Cannon**

 **Aggron (Male) – Metal Claw, Metal Sound, Iron Head, Thunderbolt**

 **Weavile (Female) – Night Slash, Metal Claw, Hidden Power, Blizzard**

 **Absol (Female) – Night Slash, Razor Wind, Attract, Fire Blast**

 **Tyranitar (Female) – Stone Edge, Earthquake, Dark Pulse, Dragon Claw**

 **Gardevoir (Female) – Teleport, Light Screen, Calm Mind, Heal Pulse**

 **Mewtwo (Male) – Psystrike, Psychic, Dream Eater, Hypnosis**

 **That's it for now.**

 **Reviews are appreciated.**


	25. Back from the dead: Guardian's wrath 1

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Pokemon or any of these characters.**

 **Author's note: Month and a half. MY personal record. Sorry if I made you wait too long, but I ran into a wall here. Like I said before, These 13 chapters weren't supposed to be. And even though I thought through some of it, this ending part was still a mystery and I didn't know how to wrap it up. I even had to ask Youngster Austin for help with this one, and I am grateful that he helped me.**

 **Also thanks all of you for the reviews. It is great to see that so many people love this story even after I decided to be edgy and cut Ash's hand off. So that still warms my heart. Also, We reached over 500 follows. I don't know if I mentioned it before, but I am truly grateful for so many followers. So thank you very much guys, and stay tuned for more. Because more is coming.**

 **SHOUT-OUT TO YoungsterAustin. I AM GRATEFUL THAT HE TOOK HIS TIME WITH THIS CHAPTER AND RAN THROUGH IT. THANK YOU!**

"classic conversation"

" _thoughts/telepathy/link"_

 **That is all for now. Enjoy.**

* * *

 **XXI. Back from the dead: Guardians Wrath p.1**

"Hi dad." voice quiet, deep with shakiness hidden inside, rang on the top of the Pokemon world.

"This is it. In a few hours, the fate of this world will be decided. By me. A 16-year old kid who has no clue what he is doing." continued the man overlooking the Sinnoh region.

"Is that how you felt when you went against them? Like you had no clue what you were really doing? And just going through with it, hoping it's the right way?" he asked, but the answer never came.

"Huh. Waiting for answers from a dead person in the middle of nowhere with blizzard raging around. I must be going crazy." he said with a small sad chuckle.

"I guess it's because I just have to let this out before my time will come. Truth be told dad, I'm scared."

"Not to die. No. I learned to die some time ago. I am scared that I will fail. I am scared that the things that happened to me will also happen to others. To my friends. To mom. And to Cynthia." He looked down confessing his fears.

He then looked up to the sky, letting the blizzard with a strong wind blow away his hood, revealing the blue magic eyes and a hairy face.

"I wish you were with me here. To guide me. Through it all. To tell me I got this. That you believe in me. But... in the end, I can only wish that you would tell these words to me. At least I hope I am making you proud, dad." Ash said with clear doubt in his voice.

"Anyway. I have to go now. It's time for me to finish, what you started. Hopefully, when this is over, I will be able to talk to you like this again, and not from the place where you are now, but still from the place where living people and Pokemon walk. Wish me luck, dad. I will need it." finished Ash.

Upon finishing his talk with his dad, Ash turned around and walked towards the boulder to the cave he spent so much time in. The cold outside of the Haven was harsh, unforgiving but somehow, it calmed him down. After so long here, the cold weather here has its certain calm charm to it.

Even though, he was not 100% ready, he walked with his head held high to his team. Dragging his boots through the thick snow, Ash slowly approached the entrance to the cave. The blizzard caused his cloak and cape to fly from side to side. Ash however, stood still in front of the entrance, not bothered by the cold environment at all.

A gust of wind caused something to come out of the inside of his cloak pocket. A piece of a brown leather string. Ash recognized the string that was flapping in the wind now. It was hard to recognize it in this evening, but he didn't need much to know what the item is.

Ash grabbed the string and pulled the item from his pocket. " _I completely forgot about it..."_ he thought looking at the item. Ash clenched the item in his fist closing his eyes. " _Should I?"_

With one last deep breath in front of the entrance Ash opened his eyes again. He was ready. As ready as he could be that is.

" _Mewtwo, the door."_

The big boulder in front of him was slowly lifted, revealing everyone standing behind it. All of the Pokemon, Cynthia's and Ash's, were standing in front of him. With Cynthia, Pikachu, Lucario and Mewtwo in front.

Ash stepped in and Mewtwo dropped the boulder behind him as soon as Ash was in.

"You sure you don't want to stay here, Mewtwo?" asked Ash.

" _Not a chance."_ said Mewtwo.

Ash sighed. So the communication Mewtwo provided went out of the window. Great. But on the contrary, they acquired massive firepower by bringing Mewtwo with them. But will it be enough? More importantly, will all of his be pokemon okay? It's a great risk that he would be glad not to take. Unfortunately, Mewtwo is more stubborn than the he and Cynthia combined.

"Well... That means being extra careful. I want everyone to watch their, and each others, backs to make sure everyone will come out of this unscathed. Is that clear?" said Ash.

All Pokemon agreed with a loud shout, which brought faint smile to Ash face. They don't lack determination, that's good.

"Cynthia. I want you to be extra careful too. Don't do anything reckless, OK?" Ash asked.

Something about Cynthia was... off. Her emotions were jumping all over the place. Unlike the time here when it was very clear when she was happy, sad or frustrated. It gave a vibe to him she was unsure of this. And that she was afraid. But even though he pointed it out earlier, she insisted to go with them.

"Don't worry. I have everything planned out already." she said with a smile. But again, something was off...

Well, he can't dwell on it right now. Probably just a nervousness from the upcoming battle messing with her emotions. To be honest, he is not faring any better so it isn't that out of place.

"Cynthia, come here." said Ash. Cynthia raised an eyebrow slightly, but nonetheless complied.

Ash got lost in his thoughts for a moment when she appeared in front of him. She wore her old Champion attire. And Arceus does black suit her.

"Turn around." Ash said when she was face to face with him.

"Why?" she asked tilting her head in confusion.

"Since you have been such a good girl I have a reward for you." Ash joked a little.

"How sweet of you." Cynthia with a small chuckle turned around.

Cynthia suddenly felt Ash's hands on her shoulders and something being place around her neck. The prehistoric tusk was now dangling on her neck.

"It's not gold, silver or any other expensive jewelry, but it's everything I have right now. And I would like you to have it." Ash said sincerely, tying the leather necklace around Cynthia's neck. " _Well, technically it's still not mine."_ Ash thought. But hey, Steven most likely forgot about the tusk so where's the harm in giving it to Cynthia. Besides, he promised to deliver it to her. So Cynthia can still give it back to Steven if she wants to.

"Ash...That- "

"Do not even try to protest. I promised, so here I am delivering on that promise." Ash said silencing Cynthia in the process. Though she didn't say anything she was visibly happy. That sweet, sweet smile decorated her face in the greatest of fashion.

As Ash was focusing on Cynthia, his Aura seemed to be focused somewhere else. Ash's abdomen started glowing again. Dimly at first, but as Ash was in his thoughts longer and longer, the light grew stronger too.

" _Do it."_ the voices in his head tempted him.

" _Do it."_ something was pushing him further. It was so hard to keep it in for so long it was getting unbearable.

" _Do it!"_ he knew this could be his last chance. Should he even tell her? It is said that getting this thing off of the chest would relief you a lot. Regardless of the response. Even from the tactical standpoint it would be good idea to get it out of him.

" _DO IT!"_ yeah, he can't fight like this if his mind is split like this. Confess, get it over with, and focus on the fight. Arceus what will she even think when he confesses? Looking back at it now, he was kind of a douche. And she even may have someone out there. " _Whatever, it doesn't really matter. You need to get it of your chest and focus and something else. You have to be 100% focused on your task. Not on whether she would or would not be with you."_

" _DO IT!"_ Why now though? He could confess during the month here. What was stopping him? Was it nervousness? Was he actually afraid of something other than Team Rocket? Afraid of rejection? " _Wow. This is not me at all."_ he thought. Maybe Aura is toying with him again?

She was looking at him with the ashened eye. Curious look it seemed. How long was he out?

"Ash? Are you OK?" she asked, clenching the tusk with one hand.

Voice sweet as honey rang through his ears. "Of course." Ash replied sincerely with a small smile as a quiet atmosphere filled the cave.

 **DO IT!**

"FINE!" Ash shouted breaking the silence with his deep voice. Ash was so wrapped into his inner thoughts that he completely forgot to isolate his thoughts and his voice.

"Ash?" asked Cynthia again, completely confused on why Ash yelled out.

"Listen Cynthia. I have something to tell you. And please, do not interrupt me, because I don't know if I will be able to continue if you do so." he said. " _In front of all of my Pokemon? Am I stupid or something?"_ he commented in his head looking at all the Pokemon around. It should be private conversation, but in the Haven... you can't exactly have that. In addition, he picked such a great time that there was no time to drag her into the corner away from the eyes and ears of his fellow Pokemon family.

"So. I was never interested in girls..." he started.

"Oh..." was her simple reply. Ash seeing her even more confused state realized shortly after how that sounded.

"NO! NO! Not like that! I mean, I am interested in grills. I MEAN GIRLS. Not grills. ARRRRGGGGHHHH! Just... you know. When I was younger I never paid attention to them." Ash babbled his way through an explanation. " _Great way to start, idiot."_ Ash thought as he scratched the back of his head. He can't do it like this. This is just so alien to him. Some stupid confessions. There has to be another way how to express his feelings. " _Well, there is a way."_

He imagined it a lot. Do her lips taste like vanilla too? He hopes so. Vanilla ice cream is the best ice cream. Why is he so nervous!? He emits confidence other times! It isn't even his first kiss with a girl! Although that depends if the Bianca that kissed him in Alto Mare was indeed Bianca or Latias. Mystery he hasn't solved even till this day. So it still could be his first kiss with a girl. Why is everything so complicated?!

 **DO IT! DO IT! DO IT!**

" _God dammit!"_ he yelled in his head. And before anyone could comprehend what was happening, Ash sealed his lips with Cynthia.

* * *

" _It's everything he has... And he is giving it to me."_

Cynthia couldn't help but feel a storm of butterflies in her stomach. It's not the first gift she received, but somehow the feeling of receiving this one was different. Cynthia looked on the necklace, but quickly her look shifted elsewhere. Her abdomen was glowing. Again.

There was this crazy theory in her head that came up with the discovery that Ash was alive about the light. But after one month here, and no advances from Ash, the theory was getting more and more likely to be false.

" _I didn't realize that it was this beautiful when I pulled it out of his backpack."_ she looked back at the necklace, ignoring the blue light for now. It's not like it happened for the first time.

It's true that the necklace isn't shining with grace as silver or gold, but the old leather necklace is still beautiful in its own words. Why though, she didn't know. Perhaps it is not the item that makes it seem beautiful, but the fact Ash gave it to her.

She tried to protest when he gave the necklace to her, but Ash didn't even let her finish. He already knew her through and through. Well, almost. Seems like her hidden plan still wasn't discovered by Mewtwo.

She feels kinda guilty that she is doing this behind his back. She saw how torn he was on the inside in front of her so she asked him if he is OK. But even after it he still seemed torn yelling "FINE" out of nowhere.

"So. I was never interested in girls."

That one line broke Cynthia's heart to pieces. Well, that was until he cutely stuttered and tried to explain his bad choice of words. She printed the image of a nervous Aura Guardian Ash into her brain, because how long would it take before he will be nervous like this again?

Regardless of the funny circumstances, it was clear that something was weighing on his mind. And what that was she found out shortly after.

When Ash crashed his lips on hers, her eyes nearly fell out of their sockets. Unlike Ash's who were tightly shut. She enjoyed the short moment when he kissed her and when he scratched her chin with his beard, which wasn't as uncomfortable as she imagined it in her dreams.

Nevertheless, when he pulled away, her eyes were still ready to fall out of their sockets.

"I- Uhhh. I was never good with words. So... You know what I am trying to say. Right? Even through all the hardships I endured here, this month with you here was able to erase those 3 years of isolation. You are the source of joy and happiness here. Not only that, but you are just so sweet, kind, smart. And don't even get me started on your looks. This level of beauty should not be allowed. Well. What I am trying to say is. Uh... I think I... like you? Probably more than I should?" blushing Ash somehow managed to stutter out these words unsure of his own thoughts.

"And look, I am not telling you this because expect you to return my feelings." he said.

" _I would be over the moon if you did though."_ Ash added in his head.

"Since I was confessing my fears to my father outside, I figured that I should confess everything to you too, so my head will be clear once all the hell breaks loose. I will give you some time to recollect your thoughts and then we will be on our way. Spitting it out like this must be shock for you so be free to stay here if you don't want to go there with me. I will understand." Ash said.

Ash tried to make something of Cynthia's surprised expression, but nothing came to his mind. She just stood there. Not moving. Not even blinking. He tried to look for some clue that would tell him what Cynthia feels, but Cynthia was like a statue. Not giving any emotions away. Well, maybe after few minutes alone with her thoughts, she will be able to sort them out. For a few seconds he locked his gaze with hers, but when Cynthia's mind was still not working, he eventually sighed and walked passed Cynthia to his Pokemon to talk to them one last time before the fight. Maybe after that, he can come to Cynthia and ask her what she thinks about all of this.

Cynthia still wide eyed looked now on the empty space before her with thoughts running wild. Her mind was so occupied to comprehend what happened that she only heard faint whispers behind her as Ash was going through the plan one last time.

Slowly the realization of what happened was dawned on Cynthia. She slowly turned around to see Ash talking to his Pokemon discussing the plan.

" _Did he just confess his love for me and acts like nothing happened?!"_ she thought.

For a second she thoughts that the whole confession now didn't even happen. That was until Ash's Gardevoir start giddily, jumping around Ash expressing her joy of her trainer in love asking him bunch of questions. Ash with nervous chuckles was calming Gardevoir down but on Gardevoir who is a Pokemon that loves romance it didn't really help.

Even Ash's Pikachu joined in and pat his trainer on the back saying something in pokespeech which Cynthia couldn't really understand.

" _Lady Shirona, I think it's your turn to confess."_ said Mewtwo through telepathy only to Cynthia.

Her eyes wandered between Ash and Mewtwo few time before settling on finally settling on the last Aura Guardian.

The way he now interacted with his Pokemon. Petting Meganium, scratching Pikachu under his and high-fiving with Infernape. One last heart to heart moment with his Pokemon before the fight.

" _Damn... I DO love him..."_ Cynthia realized. The restraints that were holding her back all this time in here were suddenly broke and she tackled Ash right in front of his all Pokemon on the ground giving him a another kiss. Fortunately for her, her aim was good and with this Tackle attack, their lips touched again when they fell to the ground.

Part of Cynthia couldn't even believe what she was doing right now. The kiss was again brief but it was very sweet. Looking into his eyes, she knew now it was pointless to tell each other how they felt. It was very clear to both of them.

"Ash... Whatever happens, promise me that you will come back to me in one piece. I... I need you back alive. OK?" Cynthia pleaded with watery eyes still lying on top of Ash. Cynthia supported herself with her hands so she could see Ash's face. From this position, she could see that Ash's own thoughts were now running wild.

Then, Ash smiled. "Now I have a very good reason to come back alive." And he kissed her briefly on the lips again.

As they were lying on top of each other, there was a painful burning sensation that caused them to groan. For a moment, both of their minds went blank. Even with their eyesight. All they could see through the burning pain was white light. White light didn't disappear when they closed their eyes. It just got more intense. The pain quickly subdued and they were released from this unpleasurable experience. Both had to blink few times to get their eyesight back to normal.

Ash was the first one to recover. His pants were quicker than they normally are, so he sat down. With Cynthia still on top of him, this caused still recovering Cynthia to be seated on his legs. Ash quickly lifted his black t-shirt and looked at the place where he felt the burning.

" _So you finally showed up."_ Ash thought upon looking at the mark. The mark there was releasing a small white smoke and the skin around the dark blue mark was red. Even though the mark looks great, he still has no idea why it appeared. Or more precisely, why it was burnt onto his skin.

"Looks like you are stuck with me, Ash." that familiar sweet voice dragged his attention back to Cynthia. She too lifted her clothes and showed Ash the same mark he has. So they were burned simultaneously. Huh. And now, when the mark is finally visible, he felt Cynthia's emotions seeping through it. Clearly than ever before. " _She DOES love me back… I am one lucky bastard."_

"I wouldn't have it any other way." Ash smiled back.

Even when she enjoyed those brief kisses, she wanted more. They lasted barely a second and as she remembers from the movies she saw, this isn't even scratching the surface of how people express their love for each other.

Suddenly whole cave cheered for the two newfound lovers.

" _Soulmates. Just like I said. And you doubted me."_ Lucario said smugly to Ash.

"Shut up." Ash retorted back.

" _I am sorry to ruin the moment, but we are 15 minutes late already. We should go. Everyone is expecting us."_ said Mewtwo.

* * *

More than two hundred Jennys were now gathered in the training field behind the Police HQ. All of them standing in a formation ready for their commands, inextinguishable from one another like a clone army of police officers. In front of them stood another Jenny, but with a different badge on her blue uniform. Bigger, golden, and with director written on it.

And right beside the officer Jenny unit, another unit stood. This time, there were 64 people, with vast majority of them being men. These men and women didn't have any unifying uniforms like Jenny's, however, there was still one piece of clothing that bound this unit together. A short sleeve red and yellow jackets that didn't extend all the way to the waist, but ended below their chests. And there was an emblem sewn on the left sleeve of their jackets. Another thing they had in common were the devices on their wrists.

But that's where the similarities in this unit ended. The undershirts varied from person to person. In front of this unit was a spiky, blonde haired tall man in great physical condition dressed in the same jacket and with a same device on his wrist, with white undershirt and black shorts with yellow stripe. The man looked like he was in his early thirties. And just by the look of it, it seemed that this man has had a lot of experience with this kind of thing.

"How exactly will this work? We will just give our units to him and wait for his commands?" asked the man next to director Jenny. The displeasure of giving his Pokemon Rangers to some stranger was hearable in his voice.

"I guess so. We will just have to wait for him and see what he has in store for us." replied director Jenny turning her head from her unit to the blonde man.

"He better have a good plan prepared or I will not give him a single man. I don't want to fill in another paper and declare somebody dead." the man grunted.

"Are you going to pick a fight with the Aura Guardian, Jackie?" asked Jenny raising an eyebrow.

"If I'm not satisfied with his plan, then yes." Jackie replied sternly.

Director Jenny sighed and looked back to her unit formed before her. These are all the women the Police HQ can offer right now. In three days, it was impossible to mobilize every Jenny from every city there was. So this will have to do.

And even when she didn't say it outloud, she isn't exactly thrilled about this either. But she isn't as much opposed to this idea either. After the Aura Guardian said directly to her that he doesn't want anyone else die to Team Rocket. So he will surely make sure they all will be fine. Right?

As director Jenny was recalling her encounter with Aura Guardian, behind the unit of Pokemon Rangers and Police Officers, the sliding door opened and 4 men in total and one old woman exited the door. Those men were Charles Goodsnow and the regional champions, Lance, Steven and Tobias.

All three of them dressed in their usual clothes. Tobias with his vine colored cape that nearly covered his whole body, Steven in his usual suit and Lance in his signature black cape and blue clothes underneath.

Charles, with the Champions, was walking between the two units and all four of them were inspecting the army they will take with them to the battle.

The only woman of the group was slowly walking behind them. Grey hair, very short stature and a lab coat. Carolina wanted to see if what Charles said to her was true. So she is here, hoping to see her granddaughter alive and well. Carolina hasn't slept since Charles told her the news through the phone. Her granddaughter may be alive and she had to wait three long days to find out if it was true. Now, the truth will be revealed, and she can only hope to see her beautiful granddaughter again.

"Director, Jackie. Is everyone ready?" asked Charles the two in command of the two peacekeeping organizations.

"Yes." answered director Jenny. But Jackie didn't answer.

"Jackie?" asked Charles.

"Of course they are..." answered Jackie in displeasure.

"Professor Sato, nice to meet you." said officer Jenny and shook her hand with professor.

"Likewise, director Jenny."

"What are you doing here professor Sato? I don't think this is a place for a professor to be in." asked Jackie.

"What do you think, Jackie? What could possibly bring her here?" asked an irritated director Jenny.

"I thought these information should be classified." said Jackie.

"It's her granddaughter. Even though it is classified, she deserves to know and be here." Charles looked at Carolina.

"Thank you again, Charles." Carolina said and did a small bow.

The Champions stood there silently the whole time not uttering a word. None of them knew what to expect. Lance and Steven particularly gave the vibes of nervousness, even though they tried to hide it. Especially Lance. Tobias on the other hand, was again not moved by the situation, being mysterious and calm as ever.

The sun was setting over the horizon slowly and everyone waited patiently for the Aura Guardian and Cynthia to arrive. However, 15 minutes later and nobody showed up.

"If he can't be on time in a serious situation like this, how can we trust him with lives of so many people?!" asked Jackie restlessly.

"I am sure he has a good reason to be late." replied Charles.

"Behind you!" yelled out Solana, who was with her colleagues among the Pokemon Ranger unit. The Champions, director Jenny, Jackie, Charles and Carolina all turned around. Behind them, on another field, whole army of Pokemon appeared. Ranging from all types and sizes. And in front of them, stood the Aura Guardian and Cynthia. Cynthia in her black coat and the Aura Guardian in his dark green cloak and black cape over his arm. The necklace Cynthia received was around her neck, but the tusk on it was hidden in her coat so Steven wouldn't suspect anything.

As the others were now thinking if it's a good idea to approach Red with so many Pokemon behind him, Carolina was the first one to regain her senses and rushed towards her granddaughter. And for a woman of her age, she moved as fast as Pikachu's Quick Attack.

"Don't do this to me again. Ever." mumbled Carolina as she was hugging Cynthia with all the strength she could muster. Tears began falling down the floor from Carolina.

"I am sorry. So, so sorry grandma. Please forgive me." said Cynthia as she was getting very emotional as well upon reuniting with her grandmother. The two women were hugging and weeping for quite a while. The Aura Guardian who stood near them, could only watch with a faint smile on his face.

"Why are you late?" asked Jackie who with all the others walked up to them.

"I am sorry for my late arrival, gentleman. I was getting ready for the battle." despite the fact Red apologized, Jackie is still displeased.

"Cynthia, child, it's so great to see you live and well!" said Charles as he approached the two hugging women with a big smile.

"Cynthia, what happened in your villa? Did Team Rocket really attacked you? Are you alright?" asked director Jenny and the hugging women both looked at her.

"Did they hurt you?" asked Carolina who broke the hug when she heard director Jenny asking about her condition. Inspecting her, she seemed alright, but you never know. Carolina varily looked at the Aura Guardian.

"Did **HE** hurt you?" Carolina harshly asked another question and Red's eyes widened when he met the deathly glare of a furious grandmother.

"No grandmother. He actually protected me and risked his life for me. If it weren't for him, I would not be here."

"He better not hurt you, if you did hurt my only granddaughter then I-"

"Grandma. He is an Aura Guardian. Hurting people is not in their blood." Cynthia reassured Carolina.

"Cynthia, what happened in your villa?!" asked director Jenny, whose question from before were completely ignored. Those two women were locked in their own world for some time.

"That's... a long story." she said locking her gaze with Red. Both of them smiled slightly at each other and looked back at the other people here.

"What was that?!" asked observant Carolina.

"Huh? What?" asked clueless Cynthia.

"That look between you two. I don't like it." said Carolina crossing her arms.

"Nothing! It was just... a look." exclaimed Cynthia with small pink blush which thankfully went unnoticed by Carolina.

"So we meet again." Steven walked up, to the rescue, and offered the Aura Guardian a handshake, focusing the attention from Carolina to the trio of champions.

"Mr. Stone. Glad to see you again. How was your way down the mountain? Without troubles I hope." Aura Guardian smiled and shook his hand with Steven.

"Ahhh. Yes. No big troubles worth talking about." Steven said. "I am glad you are alive and well Cynthia." Steven continued and made his way to Cynthia.

"It's great to be back too." Cynthia said and both Champions hugged. Though as they were hugging, there was a slight tension in the area. Scary presence is felt here. None of the two knew what happened or if they just imagined it. But as soon as they broke their hug, the scary presence was gone.

"Did… Did you feel that?" asked Steven.

"Yes. So I wasn't imagining it? That scary presence here?" asked Cynthia.

"No. But I wonder what it was." Steven quietly said and thought about it all.

"Mr. Wataru and Mr. Yami. Pleasure to meet the other two Champions." said Red as small blue flames around him disappeared and with smile he turned towards the other two Champions. The deep voice and blue flames surprised both Lance and Tobias, but none of them showed it. BOth tried to act professionally in front of everyone present.

"Nice to meet you." said Lance in a neutral tone. Though corners of his mouth moved to form a very small smile which disappeared as soon as it appeared.

Tobias on the other hand shook Red's hand without any response. He only looked him in the eyes, inspecting those unordinary eyes he heard so much about.

"And who is this?" asked Jackie who first found out, there was a completely new Pokemon in the army Aura Guardian brought.

" _I am Mewtwo. Red's Pokemon. Nice to meet you all."_ Mewtwo's telepathy surprised everyone.

"A new Pokemon with a telepathy? Where did you find him?" said Steven. Steven could swear, that for a second, there was a really unfriendly look upon him by Red. But that quickly changed.

"He actually found me. Right Mewtwo?" asked Red his Pokemon.

" _I suppose it could be phrased liked that."_ Mewtwo answered by telepathy.

There was one man who was observing this Pokemon very , this Pokemon has a great power. Maybe more power than his own legendary Pokemon. Another thing that peaked his interest was his name. " _Mew-TWO. That can't be coincidence."_ thought Tobias.

"I believe we should get to business. What is your plan, Red?" asked Jackie, ending the introductions and reunions. Red's face got serious and he explained what is expected out of all of them. And when the sun was set over the horizon, on the cloudy, cold autumn evening, all of them were teleported near the Team Rocket HQ.

* * *

"TELL ME WHY YOU RESCUED THE AURA GUARDIAN!" yelled out furious Domino and she gave James a very hard and painful slap across the face. James took the slap with his eyes still set on the floor not uttering the word except for a painful grunt.

In a familiar torture room, the Team Rocket trio hanged by their hands right next to each other. Jessie and James were striped of their clothes and handed to Domino for investigation. And the investigation is just starting out.

No member of the Rocket trio didn't say a word from the time they were thrown at Giovanni's feet. Unsurprisingly, this angered Giovanni so he gave them to Dominno for 'information gathering' as he called it. But they felt they were the one who gathered the most information. Particularly about the twerp and his Aura Guardian status.

"Fine... You want it rough? You will get rough." said Domino and she picked a knife from the bloody table of various torture tools.

She slowly walked up in the direction of James, but on her last second, realizing that she has been beating only James the entire time with her hands, she made a turn and walked up to Jessie. Jessie started breathing heavily as Domino was coming closer to her.

Shackling of chains near Domino caused her to look to her left. James finally showed emotions as his eyes widened when he saw a knife near Jessie's bare stomach who was rising and falling rapidly along with her breasts.

"Does this bother you, James?" Domino pressed the knife a little harder so few drops of blood escaped from Jessie who yelled out in pain.

"Not her. Please..." were the first quiet, desperate words James said upon returning to the base.

"Ohoho! This will be very interesting!" yelled out Domino as she was running the tip of the knife on Jessie's still rising and falling stomach. She never tortured two people who cared about each other so there is whole realm of possibilities how to make this interesting.

"Whatever you want to do with that knife, do it to me. Leave her out of it. Please..." James begged with his eyes tightly shut.

"I took you always for a cowardly one. The one who would never want to be in pain. What changed?" Domino asked. But the only answer she got was a weird look that James gave to Jessie who was still looking at the knife roaming around her stomach.

"Don't tell me you have fallen in love with HER! HA! This is just too perfect! I am going to so enjoy this!" said Domino who began smiling and laughing.

"James..." Jessie said now looking up to meet James's eyes. But the only thing she found was James looking at the ground below.

"I am sorry, Jessie." James said quietly.

"Let's see which one of you will be hurt more by this." said grinning Domino who prepared to stab Jessie right through the abdomen.

"STOP!" yelled out the last member of the trio, Meowth who surprised Domino and created a slight pause.

"Nearly forgot about you." Domino turned to Meowth and stopped the knife right before it was about to hit Jessie's stomach.

"Let them be. Give them at wheast a chance to express how they feel towards another. I will take the torture in the meantime if you can't help yourself you sick bitch." yelled out Meowth desperately.

"You were always the smart one... Hmmm. A possibility of torturing lovers who realize their feelings towards another right before watching each other suffer is an opportunity I will not have again... Fine. Jessie, confess." she said with a sleazy smile pulling back the knife.

"James... I- I-"

"Don't say anything. Don't give her the pleasure." said James shakily, looking at Domino.

"And this is where the fun starts... James. If she doesn't confess..." Domino walked up to Jessie again and pressed the knife to Jessie's throat. "Do you know what will happen?" And James shuddered when he saw the sight. Just what Domino wanted to see.

"You will not kill her. You said it yourself. This is a gweat torture opportunity for a sick bastard like you, who doesn't want to miss it." said Meowth.

"Ooooh." purred Domino sadly.

"Guess I will have to start with your tongue so you will not ruin the fun for me in the future." said Domino who pulled the knife of Jessie's throat and went to Meowth.

But her walk was interrupted when an alarm started ringing through the room. " **ATTENTION! WE HAVE BEEN ATTACKED. I REPEAT, WE ARE BEING ATTACKED! THE INTRUDER IS IN THE WEST WING OF FACILITY! EVERYONE GATHER IN THE WEST WING AND STOP THE INTRUDER!** A speaker in the room said in robotic voice.

* * *

A big maple tree towered over the rest of the forest near Pallet Town. Autumn created a vast range of colored leaves that were falling lazily to the ground creating a beautiful scenery. On this beautiful autumn night, an army formed around the tree.

Police officers and Pokemon Rangers were standing all around the big maple tree, watching, waiting for the first criminals to escape from the Team Rocket headquarters.

Several minutes ago, the Aura Guardian teleported all of them to their places. The Rangers and Jennys stood around the 1 km radius all around the maple tree, hidden in the forest. All of them had a walkie-talkie so they could communicate with each other. Because of their large numbers, the group of 284 justice fighters was divided into 20 groups of approximately 14 people so the channel they were broadcasting on would not get overloaded. Of this group of Jenny's and Rangers, one captain was chosen and only the captain could talk to the director, or Jackie through the walkie talkie. This created a communication network that Red came up with.

From the information gathered by Red, they knew there was one main exit and one backdoor exit that was hidden in case of the attack. But thanks to Red, they knew the location of the secret exit.

And at these two entrances, the big guns were unloaded. Cynthia, Lance and director Jenny with 2 groups of Jenny's and Rangers were at the secret hidden in the bushes with their respective Pokemon.

Tobias, Steven, Jackie and with another two groups of Jenny's and Rangers were at the main entrance prepared to capture anyone who would dare to escape from the cave that hidden the entrance.

There was a possibility that there are some other small secret exits that they didn't know about, and that's where the other groups of Jennys and Rangers came in. Pokemon Rangers 'captured' a whole bunch of flying Pokemon to scout the area for any criminals who would want to escape. Hopefully it will find its usage, because the forest behind Pallet Town is incredibly thick so there is not a good sighting spot for them.

Charles and Carolina remained at the Police HQ, since they do not have a lot of experience with fighting. Carolina in particuliary protested when she just got her granddaughter back. Charles had to remind her that she should not be in here in a first place so she should be gratefully she even knows about this mission. Carolina protested regardless. But it was no use, because not only Charles, but Cynthia herself was determined to fight. And so Carolina's protests found only deaf ears.

And so everyone was in place. It was time for Red to get into the cave and put an end to Team Rocket.

* * *

Ash saw from afar how the two guards at the main entrance in the caves retreated into the facility. Not surprising, since Infernape, Typhlosion and Charizard flames illuminated the cave and the army of Pokemon Ash brought with himself into the caves.

Ash slowly walked up to the doors. "Mewtwo, the door please."

Mewtwo's eyes glowed blue and an entire front wall with the iron doors crumbled into a bunch of iron scrap leaving only a big hole in the wall that separated the cave and the Team Rocket HQ.

The hole inside the iron wall in the cave revealed a big hall. It looked like a gathering room, with big couches, TVs on a wooden floor. The hall was even nicely decorated by plants here and there. Even though the hall was as big as Cynthia's villa, his Pokemon couldn't stack themselves in that space. Thankfully, the broken wall extended the room for battles all the way to the roomy cave.

Inside the hall countless grunts had their Pokemon already out and attacked Ash without hesitation. A Rhydon and Electivire jumped at Ash with white glowing fists as soon as they saw him. However, they were stopped in mid air by Mewtwo with Psychic. Mewtwo used his telekinetic abilities to slam two fully evolved Pokemon to the ground without mercy and at a very high speed.

"Metagross and Mewtwo, take care of the guns." Ash said in the deep voice.

Even though he said it, as soon as he entered through the broken iron wall, several grunts already pulled their guns out and began shooting at Ash. Ash quickly extended his hand forward and created the shield to protect himself and his Pokemon.

" _Seriously, they should know this won't work by now."_ thought Ash.

"Mewtwo, be on lookout for Alakazams teleporting here." Ash said to which Mewtwo nodded.

Paying attention back to the hall in front of them, Ash got to work. One, two, three ...twentyone. Twenty one grunts pulled their pokeballs and released bunch of Pokemon.

As he has done dozen of times already, Ash let his Pokemon take care of the enemy Pokemon, and he turned his attention to the grunts. Several grunts had weapons of their own, like knives, throwing knives, and even swords.

Looking at those grunts, he knew these were a different kind from the ones on their bases. None of them shouted in fear when he appeared, and they weren't surprised when their guns crumbled. They were calm as he was, which got Ash slightly nervous. These must be Giovanni's top soldiers. Thanks to the Aura sense, he knew there were much, much more of them in here.

As the fighting between Pokemon started on the various places in the hall/cave, Ash finished analyzing the situation and rushed towards the first grunt. Dark green blur with a streak of blue from his Aura eyes indicated his fast movement towards the first grunt.

Ash aimed his right kick on the grunts head, but surprisingly, he ducked down evading the first blow. As the momentum of the kick was causing him turn, he noticed the grunt was trying to make him trip by his own low kick.

Ash quickly pulled his left leg of the ground, and let the momentum of the right kick carry on, creating a horizontal spin.

Seeing the enemy under him, Ash created an Aura Sphere in his right hand, and he slammed it at grunt's head creating a small explosion. The explosion knocked the first grunt down.

Keeping track of a position he is in, the spin was far easier with his enhanced senses and reflexes so landing was not a problem.

As he landed on the kneeling position, two knives were thrown from the distance. His Aura sense sensed three other grunts coming from the sides, and others were prepared to attack too.

" _Knives instead of bullets... Interesting change."_

Seeing the two fast traveling knives, Ash dodged one with jerking his head right, and as the second one was coming in, he caught it with his right hand.

Using his shining blue eyes, Ash saw the three grunts getting closer from each side. Ash took advantage of the kneeling position and jumped high in the air. Fumbling his knife in his hand, he saw the knife thrower throwing another knife at him.

Ash blocked the knife in the air with the one he caught. Ash then immediately threw the knife he held, back at the grunt. However, he dodged the knife Ash threw. Not wasting any time, the grunt pulled three knives between hin knuckles and with a sinister grin, he threw the six knives in total at Ash.

This didn't caught Ash off guard however, he knew these guys would be another level as soon as he laid eyes on them. So he was prepared. The knife he blocked previously was blocked to bounce upwards and not down. And just in time, the gravity pulled Ash and the knife back to the ground and Ash caught the knife and blocked all the other knives.

He didn't have much time to think, because a grunt with a sword came from behind and tried to slice Ash's head off with a fast swing. Ash's Aura sense caught that and he quickly bent his back, and used his hand to make a flip back, leaving the knife he caught on the ground.

" _These guys are no joke."_ Ash thought as they now surrounded him from all sides. By now, on the other bases, he would have at least 10 grunts down already. But right now, he only had one. This is gonna be a long fight.

Four grunts launched at the same time and they quickly approached Ash. The one with a sword began with a slash aiming at his head. Ash ducked under the sword, but another grunt was already near him and tried to kick Ash in the back of his head. Ash managed to catch this guy's leg with his right hand. With a quick spin, Ash threw this guy at the other two approaching him, and fortunately, he hit them.

The sword guy quickly tried another slash, trying to slash kneeling Ash in two. Not having time to dodge in this weird position, Ash had to quickly manifest the shield and protect himself from the sword. When the sword bounced of, Ash switched from the Shield to an Aura Sphere and threw this Aura Sphere at the sword guy.

The last guy jumped at Ash, trying to restrain his movements when Ash was busy with the others. And he succeed. For a moment. As soon as the grunts hand touched Ash, he grabbed the hand, stood from his position and he threw this man over his shoulder.

" _Slowly getting used to fighting for real again. Feels... great."_

* * *

Cynthia, Lance and director Jenny where at the secret entrance to the HQ. The secret entrance was hidden behind a several vines which hanged from the small clif on which a tree stood. Silently, all three of them with their squad stood there.

"OK. Time to go." Cynthia looked at her watch. Ten minutes went by and that means Ash should be already deep inside the base. Now it should be safe to come out.

"Time to go? Where?!" asked confused officer Jenny with her Arcanine at the side.

"Inside." she said in a serious voice.

"But, didn't the Aura Guardian said that we should wait here and he will smoke them out of their holes?" asked Solana, who was the member of the group of Rangers and police officers that joined the two champions and director Jenny.

"Yeah, he said that. But he needs our help. According to the map I have, we are closest to the place where their leader is. If we go there while their leader is occupied with A-... Red, we will have a better chance to capture him." Cynthia said.

"But…. doesn't that goes against what he ordered us to do?" asked director Jenny unsurely. The fact they are waiting at the exit far from the actual fighting is actually soothing. None of her women is in greater danger and that's all she can ask for. But on the other hand, it is true that the Aura Guardian placed an enormous responsibility on his shoulders. And they are the police. They are the ones who should be doing this and not hiding out here.

"We are obliged to follow his orders. And he ordered you to follow my orders. Didn't Red make himself clear?!" asked Cynthia.

"But those aren't his orders. Are they? Those are your own. He doesn't know about this plan of yours does he?" stated Lance simply, gathering the attention of others.

Cynthia looked at Lance and saw his neutral expression. Stupid detective. Just from a few words he could see the real picture of what was going on here.

"WE are going in!" Cynthia raised her voice.

"Are you really OK with this?! Just watching? The thing he is trying to accomplish now is a suicide! I am not going to just stay here and pray for his success! He is the last Aura Guardian. THE LAST! We should be saving him and his kind! Not the other way around! Do you know what he went through?! What they did to him?! The inhuman torture that they were performing on him?! You all see just an eye scar and a missing hand. And trust me, there are much nastier things hidden under that green cloak."

"Our responsibility is not watch him suffer again! It's to fight! So I am going to say this one last time. WE are going in!" Cynthia shouted. And the speech did it's job. They eventually went in.

* * *

Giovanni was eagerly watching how the Aura Guardian was making his way through his maze on the computer in his office. Beside him, three women stood like guards watching over Giovanni. Sipping his coffee Giovanni enjoyed the show on the display. It is like a ballet. Fighting with such a grace requires a lot of talent

He expected that this worm will come back and try to destroy his plans. But from what he could tell, he lost the hand to the torture Domino inflicted upon him. That made the corners of his mouth smile. And he even saw his old creation, Mewtwo. When Mewtwo appeared on screen, Giovanni could only look at his Psychics and wonder who was stronger.

Grabbing a mouse, Giovanni switched the screens. He saw a group of people approaching the secret entrance right before his camera was shut down.

Not that it bothered Giovanni much. He discovered these guys with his camera in the forest before they decided to go in. Pretty good strategy. Laying siege to the base and smoke everyone out.

However, Giovanni knows how to play this game. He knows very well that the only threat here is the Aura Guardian. And maybe Tobias outside. But if everything will go according to the plan, not even those threats will stop him.

"I am getting into position." a familiar female voice rang through the computer.

"Good." he said as another camera was shut down by the group that went in through the secret entrance.

* * *

Cynthia and the others were walking through the halls of the secret entrance to the Team Rocket HQ. Along the way, they encountered several grunts. But none of the were match for the full Team of Pokemon that belonged to the two Champions.

Only three individuals went through the entrance. Cynthia, Lance and Jenny. The rest stayed outside under the command of Solana. The least amount of people that go in, the higher chance they will slip by unnoticed by their leader.

Metal walls decorated the big hall through which the trio was going through. Cynthia was walking in front of the others with her map in hands. The place was unusually quiet for a place that is being invaded right now. All of Lance's and Cynthia's Pokemon, with Jenny's Arcanine, were following them. With the exception of two. Cynthia's Lucario and Milotic were the only Pokemon walking beside Cynthia.

The reason is very simple. She knows how Team Rocket fights from what she witnessed in her villa and from the stories she heard in the Haven. Guns. Those are the things that made her worry and she was planning on how to deal with them as soon as she decided to help Ash.

Ash was dealing with it by Psychic attack. That one attack, unfortunately, isn't in her Pokemon team. Not even in Lance's team. She counted on the fact she would be paired with either Tobias or Steven who have this attacks at their disposal. luck was not on her side. So she had to go for plan B. Lucario has to sense the grunts with guns and Milotic has to protect them with Light Screen.

Lucario nudged Cynthia and growled silently.

"Milotic!" Cynthia said and Milotic wrapped them in a light cube

Several seconds later Cynthia and the others saw several people running to them. As soon as they saw Red R's on their vests, everyone was ready for combat. Cynthia turned around and saw her Pokemon with Lance and Jenny there. "Garchomp, it's your turn. Be careful, girl."

Garchomp nodded, growled and before anyone knew it, the landshark disappeared underground. "Lance and director, are you ready?" Cynthia asked as she folded the blueprint of this place and put it into her, coat. Both of them nodded and were ready.

Team Rocket grunts were now right in front of them, pointing their guns at them. Seeing the barrier, none of them started shooting. This slightly surprised cynthia, because the grunts in her villa didn't hesitate and began shooting despite a barrier being placed around her and Ash. None of them even said a word.

Around ten people were right in front of them ready for the fight. "Release your Pokemon." one of them said. And as he said, several Pokemon appeared out of theri Pokemon. Majority of them being Crobats. But there were others like Magmontars, Nidoqueens, Nidokings, Beedrills and more.

Cynthia couldn't help but smile. As soon as those Pokemon dropped to the ground, metallic floor cracked. Everyone outside of the Light Screen Cube lost balance and the floor was beginning to fall apart.

"NOW!" Cynthia yelled out.

"EXTREME SPEED!" both director and Lance yelled out.

The Light screen cube dispersed and both Arcanine and Dragonite vanished from their initial spots and rushed to destroy the guns of Team Rocket. With fast speed and element of surprise, the two Pokemon quickly disarmed all of the grunts in the room.

Lucario then nudged Cynthia again.

"There's more coming!" Cynthia said loudly.

"RETREAT!" both Lance and director said and their Pokemon got back to their initial position and the Light Screen cube was formed again. When the new grunts arrived, they were surprised by the state of the hallway. "As expected of the Champions." mumbled one of the grunts. Suddenly the ground began to crack and fall apart again.

"AGAIN!" yelled out Cynthia.

And the same thing as before happened. Arcanine and Dragonite disarmed the newcomers and now only Pokemon were inside the hallway.

Lucario poked Cynthia's waist. This got her attention and she turned to her Pokemon to receive a nod from Lucario.

"Time for a Pokemon fight, Lance." Cynthia turned to Lance. "Director." she added.

"Finally." said Lance as he joined Cynthia in the front. All of their Pokemon stepped in front of their trainers, facing a herd of Pokemon that belonged to team Rocket grunts. Thirteen Pokemon against what looked like fifty Pokemon.

" _I shouldn't be excited."_ thought Lance. " _But I missed this so much."_ he added. Being a detective, circumstances like this rarely came. Usually it's just to investigate the crime scene. However, what he seeks are circumstances where he is forced to go all out. And when they finally appear, his heart screams in excitement over the fights that will take place. There is one slight problem. His lovely wife. Lorelei forbids him to get involved in something so dangerous again. Too late for that now. Sigh. He can already hear the lecture Lorelei will give him. " _Sorry Lor."_

"Dragonite, Dragon Claw on Magmortar! Gyarados, Dragon Pulse on Nidoqueen! Aerodactyl, Rock Slide on Nidoking! Charizard, Overheat on Electivire! Kingdra, Dragon Breath on Jolteon! Flygon, Solar Beam on Golem!" commanded Lance.

"Arcanine, Flame Charge on Exeggutor!" Jenny joined.

"Roserade, Sludge Bomb on Crobat! Spiritomb Dark Pulse on Crobat! Gastrodon Stone Edge on Crobat! Lucario, Aura Sphere on Rhydon! Milotic, Ice Beam on Beedrill! And Garchomp, Dragon Rush on the rest!" yelled out Cynthia.

Once the Champions and Jenny commanded their Pokemon to attack, chaos unfold. Dozens of commands from the grunts were yelled out and dozens of attacks collided in mere seconds apart from each other.

Dragon Claw against Fire Punch, Dragon Pulse against Thunderbolt and all the other attacks collided with each other created a big cloud of smoke that covered the whole hallway. Gusts of winds caused Lance's cape and Cynthia's black coat to flicker and everyone had to cover their eyes as the force of so many attacks created strong gust of wind that flew through the hallway all the way to the exit.

When the gust of wind stopped, Cynthia looked up to evaluate the situation. But when she looked up, she saw a grunt and he was about to kick her to the stomach. Fortunately for her, Lance jumped over her and he kicked the grunt away from her.

"Cynthia, stay behind me. Let me and the director take care of the grunts." Lance stood in front of Cynthia and director Jenny joined him. Cynthia then could only watch as Lance and director Jenny were fighting against dozen of grunts all on their own. Cynthia stepped a few steps back and analyzed the situation.

She has no experience in hand to hand fighting so she can't help them directly. But they really need some help. She can see that they are being overwhelmed by the grunts and they barely can defend themselves. If this will continue, they will never be able to continue to their leader.

Wait. If they are here, that means their leader knows about them. So what now? Yelped of pain brought her back from her thoughts when she saw some grunt punch director Jenny to the face and immediately after another one kicked her into the stomach. She knelt on the ground trying to regain energy but not even a second later another grunt kicked her in the head. and she yelped again.

"DIRECTOR!" yelled out Lance. But he couldn't focus on her.

Cynthia knew that she has to do something. It is only matter of time before they get past both of them and she will be next. She looked at the battlefield and saw Lucario and Milotic just beating their opponents.

"Lucario, Milotic, help the director and Lance!" she yelled out from behind all of them.

What she failed to notice was one of the grunts was running at her with a knife. And just when he was about to reach her, Garchomps Dragon Rush sent this grunt flying through the hallway. Garchomp nodded and left to fight again.

" _This is much more chaotic than I anticipated."_ she thought.

At least Lance and director Jenny are handling situation better with the help of Milotic and Lucario. The director's moves were now slower then before, but she managed to still get some good hits on the grunts. Slowly but surely, the tide of this battle was turning to their favor. As more and more of their Pokemon were defeating the enemy Pokemon, more Pokemon helped director and Lance in the fight and in protecting Cynthia. Cynthia coordinated the fight from the back like a chess player managing her board, and with her wits, slowly but surely, this battle was won by them.

As the smoke cleared, Cynthia saw the state of the board. Most of their Pokemon are in good condition to fight another battle. However, Lance and director Jenny clearly needed a break. The fact that over 15 grunts ganged up on them was clearly visible.

Lance seemed very tired but other than that, he seemed alright. Director Jenny however was holding her stomach and seemed to be in a worse state. So Cynthia walked up to her. "Are you alright director?"

"Yes. I will walk it off in a minute. Just… give me a second to catch a breath." answered panting Jenny.

"Alright. And… Do you want to continue?" asked Cynthia.

"We will not let you go there alone. Your grandma would kill us if we would let that happen." answered Lance who too panted slightly. Director agreed with Lance and nodded when Cynthia looked at her.

"Right." chuckled Cynthia. "Dragonite and Arcanine, give them a ride so they can rest for a little bit." she added. And despite not being their trainer, the two Pokemon listened to her command. It wasn't her command that caused them to listen, rather the state in which their trainers are in.

Cynthia pulled the map out of her coat. " _I don't know how many of them can we withstand. My Roserade and Lance's Aerodactyl are out and Lance's Gyarados doesn't look good either. Hopefully there will not be many of these encounters. After all, we are not that much of a threat as Ash is."_ she thought. Lance and Cynthia recalled their two fallen Pokemon and the three justice fighters continued their walk deeper into the base.

* * *

After the first encounter, the walk through the base was surprisingly quiet. Lucario stayed by Cynthia's side and tried to sense Team Rocket grunts in their area. Cynthia really tried to focus on her task and not get distracted by anything. But even though she tried, her mind wasn't as calm and focused as she wanted it to be. She couldn't help it but think about Ash and how he was doing right now. That wouldn't be so bad, but sometimes her thoughts made a quick turn around and the concern for Ash turned to something not so innocent. She doesn't remember the time she was lusting for someone so strongly. " _Probably never…. Surely never."_ she thought.

Ever since the tattoo appeared, the thoughts she was suppressing about him came to surface and were bothering.

"Did you find something?" asked director Jenny, who was riding on Arcanine next to Cynthia.

"Huh? Oh, no. Just thought of something." Cynthia said when she realized that she stopped walking.

"Say Cynthia. Do you know who the Aura Guardian is? Behind that Red sharade?" asked Lance who was riding on his Dragonite. Cynthia chuckled.

"Nothing goes by you, does it?"

"Who is he?" asked Lance ignoring the question.

He hasn't changed a bit. Same old Lance who doesn't care about useless banters. Usually this behaviour comes out as rude. How does Lorelei puts up with this she has no idea. Maybe she has some secret manual on him. Could be useful. She should ask Lorelei when her next meeting with Elite Four comes up. That's if Charles hasn't replaced her yet.

"I can't tell you that I am afraid. That's his secret to tell. Not mine." Cynthia continued her walk with the blueprint in hands.

"Secret huh?" Lance chuckled. "Now I really wonder who he is…" he added quietly.

"Do not worry Lance. There is not a person you could trust more than he is." Cynthia said. There was that small shake in his voice that said to Cynthia, Lance still isn't sure about this mission. Or her own mission.

"He gives that vibe off…." added director Jenny.

"... Vibe of a chick magnet." Lance sighed. And as to confirm his statement, both director and Cynthia blushed. Cynthia didn't say a word to respond, but director did.

"Well… I mean, can you blame us? He is the manliest man to ever be manly." said director Jenny.

"Right…" Lance responded in disbelief. What was that even supposed to mean? Better not think about it too hard. Women are more complicated that the universe itself.

" _If only they knew he is just sixteen…"_ thought Cynthia. They probably wouldn't even listen to Ash if they knew. Not probably, they would've sent him back to the Haven to change his diapers if they knew. Not only that. Director Jenny would have to quickly explain why a woman who entered her thirties is going after a sixteen-year old. And how dare she? Ash is hers. And she refused to share. " _Mine. He is mine."_ she thought and rubbed the mark on her abdomen. " _Only mine."_ she added possessively again.

"Is it here?" asked Lance. who stopped his Dragonite and their walk.

Cynthia was brought back from her thoughts and looked at the direction where Lance was looking. She discovered a small iron door. She looked into the map and tried to find the room on the map. But it didn't add up. Right across these iron doors, there were another door. This time a white wooden door, with a sign that read 'STORAGE 14'. But on the blueprint, there is no room across storage 14. Only a blank space.

"This shouldn't be here." Cynthia walked up to the unknown door.

"How recent are those blueprints?" asked Lance.

"Not so recent to be honest. But still. Everything was in place so far, so this is rather strange" Cynthia turned around and replied. Turning back to the door, she examined them with her watchful eyes. Well, if they are from iron, they must hide something valuable. Right? Or they could hide something that could weaken Team Rocket in this fight. Or make the fight easier. " _Only one way to find out."_ she thought. Cynthia tried to open the door, but they were locked.

"Garchomp, Use Dragon Rush and break through the door."

Garchomp enveloped herself in a blue energy and rammed the door open. The iron door flew to the other end of the room, nearly hitting one of the bodies hanging there.

Fortunately the naked bodies hanged by their wrists. And looked to be OK and alive. they were visibly breathing. They were breathing faster and were stradled when they entered the room though. Thankfully there wasn't a sign of torture or anything like that. Though, there was a small slash on the pink haired woman's stomach.

"Seems like we came just in time." said director Jenny, who entered the room with Arcanine and Lance with his Dragonite after Cynthia.

"You are late. Far too late." said Meowth out of all the persons in the room. Only after Meowth response, the three guys in chains finally lifted their heads to see who came to rescue them.

"Cynthia?!" yelled out purple haired woman.

"Huh?" confused Cynthia tilted her head.

"Did you save him? Is he here?" asked the blue haired man. There was a need for hope heard in his voice by the others.

"What are… you…" Cynthia tried to ask before she realized. "You dropped him at my doorstep."

"Is he here?!" asked the purple haired woman in a demanding tone.

"He… is." she replied still shocked by this sudden discovery.

"What is happening?" asked Lance.

"Release us and let's get out of here! This is not a fight we can win!" said Meowth out loud.

"How can you even talk?" asked director Jenny the talking Meowth.

"That's not important! We have to get out of here and let HIM to take care of this. We have no chance against Giovanni's experiments!" yelled out Meowth

"I am afraid we can't do that. We are here to help him to fight. Not to run away." said Cynthia.

"Then I am afraid this will be your last day on Earth, Champion." said some woman.

But his time, it was not the purple haired lady in chains who talked. The voice came from behind them. The three invaders turned around and saw a young blonde woman with red R on her black jacket. She stood confidently on the doorstep to the room with a dark, sinister smile. Cynthia's Lucario recognized this woman and immediately lurched to her. However, she stopped in midair just before she could punch Domino.

"Now, now. Don't try anything clever or this Lucario will crumble into a beautiful blue marble." she said. She stepped aside and a woman with pink/white dress came into the room. Her eyes glowing light blue and her face devote of any emotion.

"It is very rude to come without invitation. Didn't you know? Well, it doesn't matter now. I am afraid I will have to bring you to my boss. He is very displeased that you disrupted his calm evening today. You are lucky though. He is in a great mood so you might come out of this alive."

* * *

 **Author's note: Aaaaaand cut. So… what can I say? For now, nothing. See you in part 2.**

 **Ash's Pokemon in The Haven and their moveset:**

 **Pikachu (Male) – Thunder, Quick Attack, Iron Tail, Volt Tackle**

 **Luxray (Female) – Thunder Fang, Crunch, Volt Switch, Wild Charge**

 **Bulbasaur (Male) – Vine Whip, Razor Leaf, Leech Seed, Solar Beam**

 **Meganium (Female) – Grassy Terrain, Magical Leaf, Vine Whip, Petal Dance**

 **Sceptile (Male) – Leaf Storm, Solar Beam, Leaf Blade, Double Team**

 **Torterra (Male) – Leaf Storm, Energy Ball, Rock Climb, Synthesis**

 **Feraligatr (Male) – Ice Fang, Crunch, Slash, Bulldoze**

 **Crawdaunt (Male) – Bubble Beam, Knock Off, Vice Grip, Harden**

 **Kingler (Male) – Water Gun, Metal Claw, Crabhammer, Hyper Beam**

 **Floatzel (Male) - Aqua Jet, Hydro Pump, Sonic Boom, Ice Punch**

 **Milotic (Female) – Aqua Tail, Water Pulse, Scald, Twister,**

 **Torkoal (Male) - Heat Wave, Overheat, Iron Defense. Rock Slide**

 **Typhlosion (Female) – Flamethrower, Eruption, Aerial Ace, Swift**

 **Infernape (Male) – Overheat, Flare Blitz, Mach Punch, Dig**

 **Charizard (Male) – Flamethrower, Dragon Rage, Dragon Tail, Seismic Toss**

 **Noctowl (Male) – Confusion, Sky Attack, Air Slash, Extrasensory**

 **Swellow (Male) – U-Turn, Roost, Aerial Ace, Double Team**

 **Staraptor (Male) – Quick Attack, Wing Attack, Brave Bird, Close Combat**

 **Tauros x30 (Males) – Fissure, Take Down, Horn Attack, Zen Headbutt**

 **Snorlax (Male) – Ice Punch, Rest, Hyper Beam, Body Slam**

 **Donphan (Male) – Rollout, Earthquake, Take Down, Hyper Beam**

 **Gliscor (Male) – X-Scissor, Fire Fang, Giga Impact, Stone Edge**

 **Heracross (Male) – Megahorn, Sleep Talk, Focus Punch, Hyper Beam**

 **Muk (Male) – Sludge Bomb, Body Slam, Mud Bomb, Acid Spray**

 **Toxicroak (Male) – Sludge Wave, Poison Jab, Sucker Punch, Low Sweep**

 **Glalie (Male) – Ice Beam, Shadow Ball, Protect, Crunch**

 **Garchomp (Male) – Dig, Slash, Dragon Rush, Draco Meteor**

 **Sableye (Male) – Shadow Ball, Power Gem, Will-O-Wisp, Detect**

 **Lucario (Male) – Aura Sphere, Blaze Kick, Bone Rush, Force Palm**

 **Metagross (Genderless) - Meteor Mash, Gyro Ball, Psychic, Flash Cannon**

 **Aggron (Male) – Metal Claw, Metal Sound, Iron Head, Thunderbolt**

 **Weavile (Female) – Night Slash, Metal Claw, Hidden Power, Blizzard**

 **Absol (Female) – Night Slash, Razor Wind, Attract, Fire Blast**

 **Tyranitar (Female) – Stone Edge, Earthquake, Dark Pulse, Dragon Claw**

 **Gardevoir (Female) – Teleport, Light Screen, Calm Mind, Heal Pulse**

 **Mewtwo (Male) – Psystrike, Psychic, Dream Eater, Hypnosis**

 **That's it for now.**

 **Reviews are appreciated.**


	26. Back from the dead: Guardian's wrath 2

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Pokemon or any of these characters.**

 **Author's note: Phew. Finally done. But before we will get onto the story, I want to reply to few reviews.**

 **Kitsune: About the G-Men... Honestly, I forgot about them so that's why they are not here. Let's pretend they have their own important work for now, because I can't just stuff them into there out of nowhere.**

 **Guest: How exactly is the torture handled poorly? This won't help me to improve.**

 **Mark Andrew: Well, the wait is over! You are welcomed. Aura Guardians, Asgardians, i think I get it. Maybe. Well, if Legends would show up, i think it would just diminish Ash's accomplishments. So... no legends in this fight. Except Mewtwo. Who has a great fight.**

 **Other than those, thanks to TheRipper83, bugaboo13, SpiritsOfRhythm, ultimateCCC, Lightingblade49 and Yana5 for reviewing the last chapter.**

 **Now, let's find out how the battle went.**

 **SHOUT-OUT TO YoungsterAustin. I AM GRATEFUL THAT HE TOOK HIS TIME WITH THIS CHAPTER AND RAN THROUGH IT. THANK YOU!**

"classic conversation"

" _thoughts/telepathy/link"_

 **That is all for now. Enjoy.**

* * *

 **XXII. Back from the dead: Guardians Wrath p.2**

"So what do we have here..." said Domino. Passing by Cynthia's Lucario who was still held in mid-air as Domino made her way to the intruders.

Cynthia clenched her fists as Domino was making her way to her. This was not good. Not at all. One wrong move and her Lucario is dead. Gritting her teeth, she could only wait for Domino to speak.

Seeing Cynthia, gritting her teeth and clenching fists, he decided it was time for him to take some action. Cynthia is very smart, no doubt about that. But she still lacks experience in this field. Now it was time for the adults to talk.

Lance's Dragonite took a step forward but was quickly stopped by an unknown force with his rider.

"Now, now detective, I said don't try something clever." she said. A light blue light appeared around Lucario's body and she yelped in pain.

"STOP!" yelled Cynthia desperately.

"Alright! I get it. Let's just... talk this through. Like normal adults." said Lance and he quickly stopped.

Meanwhile director Jenny watched the situation unfold. There was no way around this. They needed help. But where to get it? Now she cursed the fact they didn't give the walkie-talkie to the Aura Guardian. But then again, neither of them knew they were going to go inside. If they needed help, they would call for outside help. Not the Aura Guardian, who undoubtedly had his hands full of work right now. Not even the groups outside can help them as the matter of fact. If she would start calling them right now, Lucario is as good as dead. " _We need a plan. Quickly."_

"HA! NORMAL adults... You don't know who you are talking to, Mr. Wataru." said the blue-haired man who was still held in chains behind Cynthia, Lance, and the director.

"OK. Who am I talking too then?" asked Lance.

"Domino." answered Cynthia bitterly and everyone looked at her. "The crazy bitch who tried to kill me."

"Lady Shirona... Glad to see you too." Domino said sweetly, face to face with Cynthia. Domino raised her hand and made a 'come here' gesture. The attention of the room shifted to the woman that came into the room. The unknown woman walked to Domino's side in a rather slow pace, raising the tension in the room more.

"Domino. If I may-" Lance began.

"You know what? We will talk later, Mr. Wataru. Now, I think it's time for proper introductions. This is Subject 0.3, or as she was formerly known, Emily, who was unfortunately training in the wrong area at the wrong time." said Domino pointing at the 26-year old psychic woman.

"Is she one of the experiments you talked about?" nervously asked the director as she turned around and asked the purple woman in shackles.

However, Jessie didn't respond. There were so many things happening in such a short amount of time that she had to process everything that was happening. She never really showed it, but she is terrified of pain. When they were blasting off, Ash and his Pokemon always made sure it didn't hurt that much. After all, Ash and co. aren't monsters like Domino. Domino... that's whole another story. The pain inflicted by torture is whole another deal. She could barely breathe in the instance where the blade was cutting her stomach.

Then out of nowhere James came forth with his true feelings and was ready to take everything that was meant for her. Not even a minute after, the alarm broke off and Domino was gone. They were alone for a few minutes, until Cynthia, Lance, and director Jenny showed up. It was all too much for her to process so quickly.

"Yes. She is one of them. Psychics that are meant to conquer at Giovanni's bidding." answered James instead of Jessie.

"I am pretty generous you know. The state in which is Lucario, it could have been all of you. Wait. Why didn't I do that?" asked Domino to herself. With one hand gesture, all of the Pokemon and people were captured by the Psychic, except for the trio in shackles.

At this moment, Cynthia realized that she screwed up. She was prepared for nearly everything. Strong Pokemon maetial artists even guns. Anything, but this. Without an option to move, they are now captured, which mean more trouble for Ash. Ironic, since she wanted to make fewer problems by this act. What will he say to her? Is it going to change what happened in the Haven just before they left? This will be like a punch in the gut for Ash. She realized that the very first thing she did when they express their love for each other was to lie to him and going behind his back. This... this was not supposed to happen.

Meowth tried desperately to find some way out. But right now, what could they do? Everyone is immobilized and no one can call help. And with these hostages, they have a great advantage on the twerp. He will sing however they please when they will start to torture them. That's how caring about someone goes. This is their end. He reminisced on the time he spent with his two best friends this whole time. Looking at them by his side, he was sad that they never got together. Watching James looking at Jessie that way all the time pained even Meowth sometimes. If he did just tell her, he is sure they would make it work. Romance. Huh. When did he start to think about it all that much again? He looked at Cynthia's beautiful Lucario which caught his eye as soon as she walked in. Such a nice groomed fur. " _Well. One can dream right..."_ he thought. Seeing the light blue light around her his mind clicked. Meowth got a brilliant idea.

He began to squirm in his shackles and yelling. But not in human language. No. He was yelling in his original pokespeech.

" _Lucario, if you can contact the Aura Guardian with your Aura blink fast three times!"_ he said in his pokespeech adding to his squirming to give some crazy vibe to Domino.

"Are you going insane Meowth?" Domino chuckled and watch Meowth squirm. And unknown to her, behind her Lucario smiled and blinked three times.

* * *

In a big hall with iron doors at sides continuing all the way till the hall's end, a few screams were heard. Human screams.

The fighting on Ash's front was coming to a close in this area. Ash lost count on how many of the Team Rocket grunts were sent at him with various weapons and tools. Thankfully his Pokemon were still in good condition despite the endless fighting in these halls. " _At least Team Rocket's Pokemon aren't that strong. Make things a whole lot easier."_ he thought. And like always, on his way he was opening the doors that lead to the victims of Giovanni's experiments. Every time he saw them the rage inside him was building up more and more. Eventually, the blue flames appeared again.

Ash didn't know what to make of them. Lucario pointed out that they appear when he is angry, and he was right so far. He registered them every time they appeared. But he didn't know what purpose they served. This wouldn't bother him that much otherwise. But the problem is, he has no control over these flames whatsoever. Similarly to his rage, the flames are chaotic, intense and blinding.

Fortunately, they don't seem to burn anyone who comes close to them. For all he knows, it looks like an expression of his anger. The angrier he gets, more intense and chaotic the flames are.

As Ash threw an Aura Sphere at the last grunt in the hall, the fight here was over. So many well-trained grunts were thrown at him that they made him tired. After a few minutes of rest, Ash was ready to talk to his Pokemon again. Unfortunately.

"Goddammit! The first thing I will do if we will get home alive is to make myself bald. It is so god damn annoying to fight with this whole jungle on my head!" Ash yelled as his hair got in front of his face again.

" _Now you complain. But when I and Crawdaunt offered to cut your hair, you sent us back to training."_ sighed Sceptile and with all the other Pokemon they walked to Ash's side.

"Sorry guys, but I don't trust Pokemon with a haircut." Ash draw aside his hair from his face so he could see his Pokemon. Feeling his strength coming back, Ash with his Pokemon began walking again.

" _You know, things like elastic bands exist. You humans use them for nearly everything."_ Pikachu pointed out and hoped on Ash's shoulder.

"Did you forget? We do NOT steal." said Ash.

" _Sorry for destroying your image, Ash, but we actually do. You know. Food, water, medicines, clothes and the other things we stole. Two pokedollars are nothing for one elastic band. It's not like we would be stealing a 20 000 pokedollar Champion wedding cake."_ Lucario pointed out.

"Thanks for the reminder..." Ash quietly said and looked at Mewtwo.

" _... What?! You wanted a cake big enough for the whole cave. I found it_." Mewtwo defended himself and his actions.

"But it's... Nevermind... Let's get back to business." Ash slumped and continued their walk through the hall.

Sometime later, Gardevoir joined Ash's side in the front with Lucario, Pikachu, and Mewtwo. She couldn't keep her excitement anymore.

 _"So Ash, how are things between you and Cynthia."_ asked Gardevoir giddily. To everyone's surprise, small blush appeared on Ash's cheeks.

"I- Well... I- I don't really know. I mean, it all happened really fast." he said and scratched the back of his head.

" _To my knowledge, you two are now mates. Am I right?"_ said Mewtwo. And Ash blushed again.

"We are not! I mean, we didn't do... that. Someday, I would like to though... What the hell am I saying!" Ash yelled out followed by a deep sigh. All the other Pokemon chuckled at Ash's cute confusion.

"Mewtwo, human relationships work a little differently than Pokemon ones. At least I think so... Why are you even asking ME? I have no idea how romantic relationships work! " exclaimed confused Ash.

" _But... you are in one."_ Pikachu added.

"And that's the problem! What in the name of Arceus am I supposed to do with Cynthia now?" asked Ash.

" _Throw her on the ground, push her on her back and mate with her like there's no tomorrow."_ the blatant response from the back was heard. Looking back, Ash spotted Charizard right behind him. No shame in his look. He said it with a straight face like he would be announcing time for dinner. But now that Charizard said it out loud, Ash's mind couldn't help but wonder how that would look like. Ash thankfully realized that this is not the time for thoughts like this and quickly shook his head.

"I am sure Cynthia will love that idea..." Ash sarcastically answered. "In all seriousness. No. I don't think that's the right way to go about this."

" _Why not? Worked for me and Charla."_

"Well. As I see it, Cynthia is a girl that has to be treated like a high born lady. Or a queen. She is a champion after all. So I will have to step up my game. You know, gifts, flowers, romance, and all that girl stuff. I don't think she is very fond of the idea you talked about Charizard. And... I want to treat her like a great lady. She deserves it."

" _I beg to differ."_ Mewtwo said.

"What?! Why do you think she doesn't deserve to be treated well!" Ash shot out angrily.

" _Not that. She actually wants-"_ Mewtwo began. However then he remembered his promise.

" _Wait. I can't say that. Forget everything I said."_ he calmly corrected himself.

"Mewtwo?!" asked Ash forcefully to his Pokemon. If there is something he knows about Cynthia, he should know. They are a couple now. Right?

" _Sorry, Ash. I can't. I promised Cynthia this will stay between me and her."_ Mewtwo explained.

What? Do they have some secret? Ash was going to ask about the secret, but suddenly he heard a voice inside his head. Female voice. _"Aura guardian, may I ask for your assistance? I, my mistress, Mr. Wataru, and director Jenny are caught by some woman. It seems like a Psychic attack is immobilizing us._ " the polite voice of Cynthia's Lucario rang through his head.

" _Lucario?"_ he asked and stopped in his tracks.

" _Yes, that's me. Lady Shirona's Lucario. Could you please hurry up, Aura Guardian? They want to move us elsewhere and I don't know if I can contact you from there."_ she again politely asked.

" _I am on my way."_

Even though Lucario said this very calmly and politely, there was no denying Cynthia is in big troubles. They are caught. By Psychic. _"How did that even happen?"_ he thought for a second.

"Mewtwo, we have to move elsewhere. Cynthia is in trouble." Ash raised his voice and the flames around him got much bigger.

" _But Ash, we are so close now. We can't just leave everything behind now. You have to continue forward."_ said Mewtwo.

"Not this again. Cynthia met a Psychic! PSYCHIC! I will NOT let Cynthia be at the mercy of Team Rocket! LISTEN TO ME AND TELEPORT ME TO HER!" Ash snapped. His deep yell echoed through the hall.

" _Ash, you have to continue forward. Our target is still in front of us. Waiting for you with his three Psychics. There is your fight. Not elsewhere."_ Lucario explained and pointed at the empty hall lighted only by few light bulbs at the sides of the hall.

"Lucario. Do NOT tell me what to do. If that was Gardevoir in there, at the mercy of some Psychic, you would be there before I could even try to stop you." Ash silenced Lucario. Every Pokemon could feel the dark aura from Ash resurfacing and everyone was scared of that.

"What do I-" Gardevoir's gentle voice tried to ask.

"MEWTWO!" Ash screamed at Mewtwo as his flames were now reaching the ceiling of the hall. Face to face, the two powerful beings stared at each other.

" _Ash. You have to continue. You know this. Your fight is not there."_ Mewtwo, unfazed by Ash's dark mood, pointed in the direction he thought Cynthia was.

" _... I will go instead."_ Mewtwo said.

"Mewtwo... I dragged her and all the others into this. It has to be me." said Ash. In a more desperate than angry voice. He couldn't help it. He feels responsible for Cynthia being here. If anything happens to her... What then? He brought her here. So he should get her out of here too.

" _For once shove your pride aside and listen to me. It can be a trap that you would fall into again or just a diversion for Giovanni to escape. We can't afford any of that to happen again."_ Mewtwo said looking into Ash's shining blue eyes full of rage and desperation.

" _Do not worry. I know how important she is to you. I will lay my life for her if that's what I will have to do."_ Mewtwo said and he put his hand on Ash's shoulder. " _Trust me."_

"I do trust you..." Ash sighed.

"It's just... I don't know... It seems wrong to send you and not me." Ash looked at Mewtwo. Upon looking at Ash's face Mewtwo replied. " _Wrong would be to not send anyone at all."_

"I know that, Mewtwo..." Ash sighed.

"Please, get her out of here. And yourself too Mewtwo. You two better survive this or I will go to the afterlife and drag both of you back to the Haven myself." Ash added. Mewtwo chuckled, nodded and teleported out of there.

Ash's flames were now raging all over the place. Hall was covered in a chaotic blue aura with Ash in the center. But unlike before, now those flames were doing visible damage. Lightbulbs that were lightening the hall towards Giovanni were cracking and the hall deteriorated into darkness. Only blue light from Ash's flames illuminated the cave.

"Metagross, Alakazam watch is only on you now. Make sure there won't be any surprises." Ash looked over his shoulder to his Pokemon family. When Ash found Metagross in the group, Metagross nodded.

"Let's end this." Ash's deep voice echoed in the hall and they continued their crusade.

* * *

"I admit it wasn't a bad plan, Champion. Trying to sneak inside from the back. But you never stood a chance against her." said Domino pointing at Subject 0.3.

Silence filled the room for a brief moment until a familiar sound of teleportation was heard. Domino and Subject 0.3 turned around to find out that Mewtwo teleported into the room.

 _"They may not stand a chance against a Psychic... but I certainly do."_ said Mewtwo getting all the attention in the room.

"Ooooh, so you are joining the party. Great!" Domino grinned.

"I am sorry to bring you bad news, but Subject 0.3 is superior to you in every way possible. Do you really think we would create someone inferior to you? You don't stand a chance, failed experiment." Domino taunted Mewtwo.

Mewtwo didn't respond with words, but with action. Mewtwo's eyes glowed blue and he ripped part of the wall between this room and the hall. He threw the piece of the wall at the Psychic. However, before the piece of concrete could reach the Psychic, the concrete disintegrated.

Then the two Psychic users were blinking in the room, exchanging attacks.

But what Domino didn't take into the account was the fact her experiment had to release the intruders from the Psychic to focus on the fight with Mewtwo. And the bad thing was that she didn't bring reinforcements. " _Well. Time to flee..."_ she thought and pressed the button on her belt, calling an Alakazam to the rescue.

"Milotic trap her in the Light Screen!" Cynthia yelled out as she was picking herself from the ground. She saw what happens when this button is pushed. And she refused to let her escape again. And like she said, Milotic formed a cube around Domino. Alakazam teleported into the room only to find his path to Domino blocked. Domino made a quick gesture, and before anyone could give a command to stop Alakazam, he teleported out of there.

"I will not fall for the same trick twice you sick bitch." Cynthia walked up to Milotic and the cube that was trapping Domino.

"My oh my you sure are clever, lady Shirona. But this is not the end." Domino grinned uncomfortably again.

The teleporting sound was heard again, and now, another bunch of Pokemon were teleported into the room with Alakazam on the front. Team Rocket's grunts weren't left out and they too appeared in the torture room with their guns.

"Where will you hide from guns when your protector Milotic is so busy with me." Domino asked and she sat on the ground in her temporarily prison. Cynthia looked back and forth between the grunts pointing guns at her and Domino.

"Do not mind me, I will just enjoy the show for now." Domino said unfazed.

"Everyone, protect Milotic!" Cynthia yelled out and the Pokemon in the room distributed around Milotic prepared to protect her. Cynthia stood near the Light Screen cube to ensure Domino will not try anything to escape.

All the grunts grinned and were prepared to shoot, but before they could pull the trigger, their guns turned to dust. Surprised by the outcome, the director, Lance and Cynthia looked around looking for the cause.

" _Now it's on you."_ they all heard Mewtwo's telepathy standing few meters behind them. Right after Mewtwo said that, a large piece of wall was thrown at him. At the last second, Mewtwo managed to teleport aside from the attack. As the piece of the wall thrown at him hit the wall behind, Mewtwo separated the piece of the wall into tiny pieces, creating a lot of sharp small rocks. Wasting no time, he threw those pieces at the Psychic for a counterattack.

However, they never reached her. A few centimeters from her face, they stood in midair. The following battle for those pieces didn't go well for Mewtwo.

Mewtwo tried to regain control over them. His head began to slightly hurt as he was trying to push them to her. But they didn't move a single centimeter. Even worse, those pieces were beginning to slowly turn around. With their sharp ends pointed at Mewtwo.

Seeing he can't defeat her in telekinesis, Mewtwo let go of his control. Immediately after, those pieces launched at Mewtwo with speed even Mewtwo had a hard time following. Mewtwo's eyes glowed and he quickly raised a wall in front of him. A wall from dirt and stone. Luckily for Mewtwo, the wall did hold and the only pieces that passed were those around him.

But Mewtwo didn't except the next attack. Through the wall of dirt raised from the ground, another large piece of wall was thrown at him, destroying the dirt/stone wall.

The thrown piece of the wall pinned Mewtwo to the wall behind him, with such a force that it nearly broke his ribs. Mewtwo released a loud groan of pain as small rocks were falling from the wall. The Psychic tried to squish him by sandwiching him between the wall and the piece she threw. Mewtwo tried to push the piece of wall that was squishing him with his own Psychic attack, but it was no use. She is simply too powerful.

"Like I said. You have no chance, slave." Domino said to him watching the situation with a big smile on her face.

Cynthia wasn't in such a cheerful mood. If she could, she would punch her in the face right now.

Despite being in a lot of pain, Mewtwo is going through a dozen scenarios of how to get out of this sticky situation. With nearly shut eyes, Mewtwo saw Lance and the director desperately trying to make their way towards him and help him, through the wave of Pokemon and grunts. But there was no way they would make it in time before he will be squished. He is not powerful enough to withstand this attack for too long and in this painful state, he can't teleport. The wall behind him began to crack because of the force that was pushing on it. When he heard the cracking of the wall, he got an idea.

Mewtwo stopped pushing the piece of the wall away from him, and he took the area of the wall behind him in Psychic and pushed it out. Mewtwo flew right through the hole he made to the hall behind and the piece that was manipulated by Subject 0.3 flew past him into another wall.

Breathing heavily, lying on his back Mewtwo, tried to catch his breath. However, he wasn't given any time to rest. An incredible headache stormed into his head. His mind was being torn apart and it hurt like hell. Mewtwo's loud painful scream got the attention of the others in the room.

"Arcanine, Extreme Speed on that Psychic woman!" commanded director Jenny when she saw Mewtwo in agony, through the hole in the wall.

From the cluster of fighting Pokemon, Arcanine leaped out and attacked. In a speed human eye could not follow, he appeared in front of the Psychic, only to be stopped few centimeters from her. The Psychic threw Arcanine at director Jenny who barely dodged her own Pokemon.

The Psychic levitated above the ground and flew through the hole in the wall. Mewtwo pulled his upper body up and looked at the woman in front of him. Mewtwo tried to talk to the woman in front of him, but there was nothing to talk to. Whoever she was before, there is nothing of Emily inside the woman. The brain is a blank slate with no emotions, memories or logic inside. She is not a human anymore. So much so, that even his Hypnosis doesn't work.

"Finish him." inside the Light Screen cube, Domino calmly said.

The walls began to crumble and other pieces were torn out, aiming to squish Mewtwo between them. However, Mewtwo wasn't going to give up this easily. As the four big pieces neared him, he created a shield around him. Psystrike attack. Mewtwo's eyes glowed again. And when the rubles touched the shield, the Psystrike shield greatly expanded and threw the roubles in directions where they came from.

Not only rubles were thrown back. Psystrike hit even Subject 0.3 and she was pushed back slightly. Mewtwo didn't waste any time and continued attacking.

Subject 0.3 protected herself with Psychic and didn't receive any damage from the attack. When she looked back at Mewtwo, Mewtwo stood up, levitated and raised his right hand above his head. Mewtwo then dropped his hand in a referee starting a match like fashion.

As soon as Mewtwo's hand dropped, a piece of the ceiling above Subject 0.3 dropped simultaneously with Mewtwo's hand. The rubbles dropped on the Subject, burying the Psychic under the rubble.

Mewtwo dropped on one knee and breathed heavily. Domino wasn't joking. In terms of raw power, he didn't have a chance against her. Thankfully there is the fact she is basically a robot, who doesn't think.

Mewtwo looked at the pile of rubble with tired eyes and smirked. At least that's taken care of. Even though he won, there was something... off. Mewtwo couldn't figure out what it was. Just that something doesn't feel right. It only took few seconds for Mewtwo to realize what was wrong.

" _There's no blood!"_

Suddenly Mewtwo was trapped in telekinesis and thrown upwards. Mewtwo's flight was stopped by the ceiling. Pinned in the ceiling, Mewtwo saw the Psychic being in the place where he stood before, only a few steps behind is former position.

With tired eyes, Mewtwo was on the brink of his energy. There is still quite of his Psychic power stored inside him, but with a tired body, there is not much he can do. Mewtwo looked through the hole where Cynthia, Lance, and director Jenny were fighting. Cynthia protecting Milotic with her Pokemon, and Lance with Director Jenny making their way through waves of Pokemon and grunts to him. But with such a big wave of grunts, it is only a matter of time before they will be overwhelmed.

Well, he said he would lay his life for Cynthia. Seems like now is the time to fulfill that promise. Mewtwo freed himself from the ceiling was now falling back to the ground. To increase his concentration, he closed his eyes and focused and the two tasks that will drain him completely.

First the allies. Or as they are known, Lance, Cynthia, director, and their Pokemon. That's 16 creatures. Plus Domino in the Light Screen cube that's 17.

Then, there were the three prisoners trapped in chains in here. So in total, 20 creatures. " _Okay Mewtwo, you got this. Three. Two... and... one."_

When he counted down to one, the 20 human/Pokemon crew were teleported out of these halls. Now that's taken care off, the Psychic remains. Now, she probably thinks he is unconscious and is falling back down by only gravity. Which is partially true. It is only gravity that helps him in the fall. But, he isn't unconscious.

Mewtwo felt the ground approach. And before he hit the ground in front of Subject 0.3, he formed a Psystrike attack with all the power he had left. Upon contact with the ground, a shield again expanded, but now, it swallowed the whole East wing of the facility. Mewtwo opened his eye for a second to see the Subject being thrown back at the wall and being showered with the rubbles. And when all the rubles fell, he finally saw blood coming out of the pile. Though, right now, dozens of rubbles are falling on him too. He destroyed the whole east wing of the facility after all. And this place has several floors. Even underground. Without a strength to do anything, Mewtwo only lay there, as rubble were slowly falling on him.

Huh. Ironic. He came to this world ready to destroy all original Humans and Pokemon. And now, he is saving them both. " _Sorry, Ash. Seems like you will have to drag me back from afterlife after all."_ Mewtwo chuckled at his own first joke.

* * *

"Darkrai, Ice Beam!" said Tobias.

At the entrance, the trio consisting of Tobias, Steven and Jackie were catching fleeing grunts from the HQ. It was fairly easy so far. Red didn't let many of them escape, and when they did, they were already beaten up. Not to mention their Pokemon were even in a worse state than their trainers.

Darkrai traped another grunt in a block of ice. Steven, with his Metagross, was catching other grunts too with Psychic, it was fairly easy. Jackie on the other hand was the one who made sure no one escaped and handcuffed the trapped grunts.

"This is kinda boring." said Steven.

"This isn't supposed to be fun Mr. Stone." chastised Jackie, who had finished breaking a block of ice with a captured Machamp and handcuffing another grunt sending him to the others. There were already the whole bunch of them being guarded by a group of Jennys and Pokemon Rangers.

"I know. But still. I don't think he needs us at all." Steven looked at the entrance.

"In a fight he doesn't. But capturing them is an important task he couldn't do alone. He can't be at two places at the same time as far as I am aware." stated Tobias.

As the situation calmed down again, they resumed their talk. "So Tobias. You never answered me. Did you catch yet another legendary Pokemon?" asked Steven.

"I don't think it would be wise to reveal my team of Pokemon." Tobias looked at Steven.

"It's not a big reveal per say. It's just if you have another addition to your team or not. Many of us are curious." Steven said.

Tobias sighed. "As before, I will reveal my Pokemon when the time comes and when new challengers force me to use them. Until then, I don't see a reason to reveal anything."

"So we will never know..." Steven said with a hint of disappointment in his voice and Tobias chuckled. So far, Tobias only released his Darkrai. Everyone knew Tobias went on a long trip when he had his time off and came back weeks later. And everyone speculated that it was because of a new legendary Pokemon he found. Maybe several legendary Pokemon.

Not that it matters now. They will never find out since only three people got past his Darkrai till this day. And only one of them forced Tobias to reveal all six of his Pokemon.

" _It really is boring out here."_ Steven thought. He is kind of a man who has to do something at all times. Be it archeology, battling, training or swooning girls. And the company he has now isn't great. No girls to fool with. Only these two guys. Tobias doesn't like to talk much and Jackie is kind of a dick. What company to be in...

But then something interesting finally happened. Teleporting sound echoed and now the group outside the main entrance got a whole lot bigger.

"What are you doing here?!" asked Jackie when he saw all the Pokemon and people being teleported right next to them.

Lance who laid on the ground slowly pulled himself up. Looking around, he saw they were outside. With all of his Pokemon. His head was kinda sore because of the fall.

"Uhhhhh... what happened." Lance groaned.

Then a loud explosion echoed through the night autumn skies with the ground shaking and wind blowing. Bird Pokemon began flying away from the trees and leaving this location as soon as the loud explosion was heard. Shortly after, a gust of wind followed the explosion. People had to cover their eyes as the strong wind flew passed them. The first one who recovered from the initial shock was Tobias.

"Wasn't that near the secret entrance?" asked Tobias who was the first one to register from where the explosion came from.

"It is..." confirmed director Jenny. She, fortunately, didn't fall flat on the face as Lance. She wasn't on her feet for too long though. Being really tired from the fighting, she sat on the ground as soon as they were teleported there and began breathing heavily, trying to get some fresh oxygen to her lungs.

"What the hell happened?!" asked Jackie again.

"I... don't know." replied Lance looking around the place where he is now.

"I saw only one Pokemon who can teleport so many people at the same time." Steven joined the conversation.

"You mean that new Pokemon? Mewtwo?" asked the director.

"Yes. Think about it. First, you appear here and then this large explosion happens. I think you were in his way to go all out so he got you out of there so he could end it. I mean, that kind of explosion must have shot ruble everywhere. Including near the entrance." said Steven who now realized what exactly were the tremors around Mount Coronet.

"We weren't near the entrance..." stated Lance in a low voice.

"What?!" asked Jackie.

"I said we weren't near the entrance. We went in!" Lance raised his voice to dangerous levels.

"Why?" asked Steven.

"Ask Cynthia. It was her idea." Lance answered. He knew he shouldn't listen. Even when she is one of the smartest people he knows, she still lacks experience in making such calls. Why didn't they stop her? And why was she so desperate to help anyway?

"And where is she?" asked Tobias.

Lance and director looked around to find the long haired blonde. Her Pokemon were here. All of them. But to their surprise, she herself wasn't here. But there was still Milotic with their prisoner. Said prisoner which wore a surprised face.

"Milotic. Please, keep her inside at all costs. She seems like a very valuable prisoner." said director Jenny to Cynthia's Milotic. And after a few seconds, the confused Milotic slowly nodded.

All of them then discussed what to do next. Should they go in? Stay here? What happened to Cynthia? Is she still inside? Did Mewtwo forget to teleport her? Are they going to be in the way if they go in? Another thing was a struggle to keep Cynthia's Garchomp at bay. She was very protective of her trainer and the only thing she wanted was to storm in and bust Cynthia out of there. Thankfully, Tobias's Darkrai has the abilities to immobilize the Garchomp.

"And who are those?" asked Steven pointing at the two naked people and one Meowth who lied on the ground.

"We don't know. We found them inside. Most likely they are another set of victims from Team Rocket's kidnappings." answered director Jenny whose energy was slowly coming back.

Director Jenny commanded her Arcanine to slash the chains to set the trio free. James sighed out loudly. In the end, everything worked out. He was the first one to stand up. Jessie was still in kind of a shock from all the things that happened. James pulled her up once she was set free too.

If the situation wasn't so dire, he would admire Jessie's body. But right now, Jessie and James both hugged each other. Searching for comfort in each other. And they did found some comfort. Few minutes of hugging later, Jessie got to her usual self and slapped James.

"WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?! DO YOU THINK I WANT TO SEE YOU GUTTED OUT IN FRONT OF ME?! she yelled at him.

"Ouch! I just wanted to spare you of the things that Domino would do. You looked like you were really afraid." James quietly said.

"OF COURSE I WAS AFRAID! BUT I WAS AFRAID FOR BOTH OF YOU TOO!" she told Meowth and James.

"I am sorry..." James and Meowth apologized simultaneously.

"STOP APOLOGIZING! ESPECIALLY YOU JAMES! YOU TWO SAVED ME FROM BEING GUTTED OUT! WHAT IS THERE TO APOLOGIZE FOR?" yelled out Jessie.

Now, James was really confused. What... What does she want?! It's not uncommon for Jessie to scream, but usually what she screams makes at least some sense. This doesn't.

Meowth, on the other hand, felt like this was more of a conversation between the two of them, so he let themselves talk it out.

"So... what do you want me to do?" asked James now completely lost of what is going on.

"Idiot..." Jessie now quietly said. She grabbed James head and kissed him on the lips. For James, the moment ended too soon. He didn't have time to enjoy the kiss, because of the shock that Jessie was actually kissing him. What the hell is happening?!

"I... I am really confused by you Jessie." said James after the kiss.

"I am a fairly moody woman. I don't expect you to understand my emotional outbursts." Jessie explained. "But you do understand what I meant by the kiss. Right?" Jessie asked.

James blushed at that and could only nod. The fact the kiss caused their bodies touch, and the fact they were both still naked caused a little mess between his legs. Especially when he looked at Jessie's breast. Thanks to cold, he knew what pointy two things he felt upon his chest when they hugged and kissed.

"My eyes are up here!" Jessie yelled again and covered her breasts and crotch. James quickly shook his head and looked at her face again.

"Could you give dem something to cower themselfes with? I don't want to listen to dis all night." said Meowth looking at the Champions who were watching the scene.

"Did you just talk?" asked surprised Lance.

"Yeh. You've got problem with dat?!" asked Meowth.

Lance and Tobias looked at each other trying to find some logic in this situation. But when they heard arguing between James and Jessie continue, they did what was asked of them.

Lance and Tobias took of their cape and coat respectively and handed them to the two naked humans who quickly covered themselves. After that everyone discussed what to do next. Excluding Jessie, James and Meowth who were sent to the side, since all of them thought they are just another victims with nothing to add to the table. And they didn't protest. They want to rest for a while and have a moment of peace. There isn't much they can do anyway. It's up to the twerp to end this.

As the others were discussing possible interrogation of the woman in the Light Screen, another strange thing happened. Slowly but surely, the temperature was rising. They looked around for the cause, but they didn't see anything. Only Cynthia's Lucario registered something strange.

A burst of large blue flames appeared out of nowhere right at the center of the HQ. That big tree under which the Team Rocket facility is was enveloped whole, in those bright blue flames. Some of those flames sloshed and ragged very far away from their original spot. Even the people near the main entrance to the underground were hit by them. First, instinct was to cover. But to their surprise, the flames didn't burn. Yes, there was a small heat coming from them, but nothing major that would harm anybody. Only anger was coming from them. Anger and wrath.

The night sky in Pallet Town forest was not dark anymore. Blue light from the flames even created a phenomenon similar to Northern Lights. The flames were so big that even people in Pallet town were aware of the big maple tree on fire.

"Do you see what I see?" asked Steven who rubbed his eyes, still not believing what he was seeing.

"What the fuck is that?!" yelled out Jackie.

All the spectators were at awe, watching the phenomenon in front of them. Even though Jackie didn't have a clue what was happening, all the others had a hunch. "That's the power of an Aura Guardian..." Tobias simply said.

" **You DARE to hurt my future spouse?! Fine then. Now, I will dare to hurt you!"**

A deep voice echoed through the forest. But it was not spoken. More like, telepathy. But still different. Full of mysticism. The voice was full of confidence. Speaking calmly. Yet there was an undeniable menace in that voice. Wrath. Wrath of which you don't want to be on the receiving end.

* * *

 _Meanwhile inside the Team Rocket HQ_

Giovanni was pretty calm throughout the whole attack. Sipping his coffee from the mug, smiling with his four Psychics by his side. With a new addition being a red haired girl with green eyes. Not only that but he finally saw results. The cameras are all around the facility after all.

He was kinda surprised when he saw the two Champions and director Jenny to go inside his facility from the back. But he didn't pay much attention to it. Domino, with a few grunts and one of the Psychics, should be more than enough to take care of them. He isn't afraid of them. The only concern he has is for the Aura Guardian. And even then, he trusts his Psychics to deal with him. Even with all those blue flames surrounding Red. After all, one of his grunts managed to make them disappear before with just a hit on the head before.

In fact, he was so confident that he sent one of his Psychics against Mewtwo to finally see the real results of their experiments.

And as he was watching the fight between Mewtwo and his experiment on the computer screen, he began thinking. The talk he heard. Red's talk with his Pokemon. Unfortunately, Red's real name wasn't mentioned which was a shame. But there was one bit of information he considered valuable. Apparently he is in some kind of relationship with the Kanto Champion. And he made the decision to take advantage of that situation.

Before Mewtwo so rudely destroyed one-fifth of his headquarters and buried himself and the Psychic under the remainders of his west wing, he ordered one of his Psychics to teleport the Kanto Champion to him.

"Good evening, lady Shirona. A pleasure to meet you in person." he said when Cynthia appeared in front of his table with his Psychic.

Cynthia was confused at first. One moment she was defending Milotic and in next, she is in some kind of office. And it didn't take long to click.

Dressed in an orange suit. Two women dressed just like the Psychic fighting Mewtwo. The one with black hair and fair skin is holding her hand in a firm and even painful grip. The Psychic forcefully pulled her from the ground and Cynthia was met with the boss of Team Rocket face to face.

This is him. The man responsible for it all.

"You..." Cynthia bitterly said.

"So you have heard of me. I am flattered."

"There is nothing flattering in things I heard about you."

"I can imagine. Subject 0.1, bring her near me. I want to have her within my grasp when the Aura Guardian storms in here." said Giovanni.

And as Giovanni commanded, Subject 0.1 trapped Cynthia in telekinesis and moved her to Giovanni's table. Right beside the sitting boss.

Cynthia was now really afraid. From the stories Ash told her, this is one dangerous man to cross. And she is utterly helpless right now. The psychic forced Cynthia to look at Giovanni. The tall man in an orange suit stood up from his chair and looked at Cynthia.

"I have to thank you, dear. Thanks to you, his strongest Pokemon is out of the game which should make things much easier." Giovanni said and he brushed the back of his hand on Cynthia's cheeks.

"What are you talking about?!" asked Cynthia angrily. Even though there wasn't hint of fear in her voice, her whole body was trembling.

"Sorry. I forgot you weren't there. You see, your little trip inside caused the Aura Guardian to sent Mewtwo to rescue you and the others. I am sure you will be pleased to hear that he did save them all. Including that traitorous trio in there. And defeated my Psychic." said Giovanni whose voice had slight displeasure in it. However, right after it, his voice turned happy again.

"But he didn't manage to save himself. So now, the Aura Guardian is without his strongest Pokemon." explained Giovanni smiling as he brushed his hand on Cynthia's cheeks again.

Naturally, Cynthia felt disgusted by the mare touch of Giovanni. And what made it even worse, she felt terrible even without his touch. She... She caused Mewtwo's demise. Mewtwo. The Pokemon that saved her and Ash from death in her bedroom was now killed because of her. If she wouldn't go inside, he would be alive. And what will Ash think when he finds out? She felt utterly devastated and hopeless. Is if it wasn't enough that she went behind his back and caused a whole lot of trouble for him. She killed his Pokemon. Just because she is a champion, Cynthia thought she could do what Ash is doing. It was completely stupid decision on her part. Why would she even go there when she has no self-defense skills? " _Why am I so stupid all the time..."_ ran through her head.

Now, she is shedding tears for Mewtwo. Tears containing a number of emotions such as grief and regret. Unable to wipe them out, those tears were hitting the floor below, which brought an even greater smile on Giovanni's face.

"I have never thought that someone would cry for that failed experiment..." said Giovanni.

Cracking of the lightbulbs in the office caused Giovanni's focus to shift from the face of Cynthia. He knew very well what this meant. Giovanni's face turned serious again. He went to the table, opened a second drawer and pulled a knife out. "Press this to Champions neck. If the Aura Guardian will try anything stupid, do not hesitate to make the slice." Giovanni grabbed the knife and threw it to Subject 0.1. The knife stopped in mid air, made a few spins, and was pressed against Cynthia's throat earning an unpleasant groan from her.

The door to Giovanni's office was across the room in an instant, burying the door into the wall and immediately after them, Red walked inside. Flames raging so much around him that they were now slightly above the ceiling of the office. With eyes full of rage and with expression ready to kill. The flames now were even creating small gusts of wind, causing Aura Guardian's cape to flicker and hair flowing.

The room upon Red's entry was lit only by the light from the flames.

"If you want the Champion to still be in one piece, I would stop right now." stated Giovanni and he pointed towards Cynthia beside him, with Subject 0.1 behind her and knife pressing against Cynthia's neck.

Shortly after some of Red's Pokemon came inside the office, such as Sceptile, Toxicroak, and Weavile. They were ready to attack, but they were quickly stopped by another Psychic in the room. All of Red's Pokemon were immobilized by the second Psychic in the room. Red looked behind him, to see his Pokemon inside and outside the room helplessly staying in their places like statues.

Then he saw Cynthia, with a knife at her neck and tears in her eyes. Red let out a frustrating gruff and gritted his teeth. "This ends today Giovanni!" he yelled at him.

"I can only agree. This ends today. You have been messing with my plans far too long, young man." Giovanni calmly replied.

"Before I will kick the ever living crap out of you, I have to ask, why are you doing this?! What purpose does this serve?!" asked angry Red pointing at the three Psychics in the room

"I don't think somebody like you would ever understand." chuckled Giovanni.

"Try me then." said red as the flames around him grew bigger and the room temperature was increasing too.

With a sigh, Giovanni explained. "Alright then. I am sure you have heard about the Unspoken war. War where some crazy mad-man tried to take over the world with his high tech weapons and it took 4 regions to stop him. Am I right?" asked Giovanni.

"Yeah. I heard about it. Seems like history repeats itself." Red answered.

"And here is the first mistake. I am not a madman who wants to kill everything like the one before me. No. I want to create a world where this will not happen ever again." stated Giovanni.

"That doesn't make any sense." said Red.

"I told you, you will not understand... Fine. I will try one more time to explain. The time before the madman showed up, we had peace. There was never a more peaceful time in history. Sounds great right? But do you know what a long period of time in peace creates? No conflict. And without conflict, mankind grows weak, dragging Pokemon with them. What this world needs right now are hard times to create strong men and Pokemon who will be able to protect everything they value when another madman shows up. I will bring chaos to this world so mankind can harden itself against upcoming dangers. And with my guidance, I will bring a new era to this world. An era where weak will be eradicated and strong prevail."

"You are a madman! Do you know how many people and Pokemon you killed?! How many people suffered under your hand?!" yelled outthe Aura Guardian.

"I am well aware. The weak ones are a necessary sacrifice that they made to push humanity forward. Look what I achieved. I created people with abilities that dwarf those of Pokemon." said Giovanni.

"You are a heartless monster and nothing more! Those people had lives! Friends and family to go back to, and you took them away." said Aura Guardian.

"They would fall when another madman would show up. Tell me, what will happen when another person like the one who started the Unspoken war will come? Humans and Pokemon will not be prepared and this time he may succeed. As heartless as I am, I don't want humans to die out."

"Even if another one would come, I will stop him. If this world needs someone to protect it, I and my Pokemon will gladly take the job from you. Because you sure as hell wouldn't protect the world, rather just take over the world and do whatever you wanted." Aura guaedian responded.

"I am not a liar, young man. In fact, I hate them. But since you don't agree with me, I guess we will have to end this. Now, be a good boy and give up, or you will see this pretty head rolling on the floor." said Giovanni and again he brushed his hand across Cynthia's face.

"If you distort a single hair on her head, I will distort your spine." said the Aura Guardian, whose anger grew more and more.

"I am eager to see that. Just a little remainder. You are not in a place to make demands" laughed Giovanni.

And as Giovanni said it, two large pieces of the wall were thrown at Red from each side by the remaining Psychic. Red quickly manifested his Aura shield to protect himself. It worked. The piece of concrete stopped when it hit the shield. The large pieces of walls created a small roof above Red. Top parts touching, and the bottom parts parted.

Red, trapped between the two walls, tried to quickly find a solution. But his thoughts were interrupted. An incredible headache came in from of excruciating pain in the left side of his head. Red closed his eyes and yelled out, with the flames around him becoming smaller. It felt like someone pierced right through his skull. But although it hurt badly, there was no knife.

At that moment, it felt like something big crushed his chest and all the air in his lungs was forced out. Red had trouble breathing. And with the pain inside his head, his energy was slowly diminishing. Nevertheless, he still held the shield up. But now, kneeling on the floor, screaming, and trying to force the unknown presence from his head.

"I am sorry..."

Red heard that beautiful, gentle, and quiet voice desperately apologizing. Red raised his head and opened his eyes despite the pain he was in. He looked at Cynthia still trapped in telekinesis and with a knife at her throat. Her eyes desperate and full of sadness. Seeing her like this, gave him a little bit of strength to fight through this. But not enough. He closed his eyes again and tried to focus on maintaining the shield and force the Psychics out of his head.

Giovanni, seeing the flames around him got a little bigger again stepped in. He raised his hand and slapped Cynthia across her cheeks. "Be quiet or you will die." threatened Giovanni.

When Red's shield got smaller to the point it barely contained him, he heard the slap. Looking up, he saw the red mark on her cheeks. He saw how he touched her with his dirty hands. But then, he saw another thing. The knife that was pressing against Cynthia's throat, was slowly cutting through the skin. He saw small drops of blood running down Cynthia's neck. Cynthia's expression in pain. Desperate scream. He heard all of it. Despite still being in pain, the only thing he could focus on were those small drops of blood on Cynthia's neck.

He felt like his heart stopped beating. He had trouble breathing seeing Cynthia like this. He saw red. Everything in front of him turned bloody red like he now wore some red sunglasses. The deep roar of him followed afterward.

Then the flames around him exploded to the heights far exceeding the ceiling of this room. It looked like whole room was on fire with Red in the center. The walls that were trapping him flew to the sides and Red was free in an instance.

Red didn't know what was happening. The first thing he registred was that the pain was gone. No headaches. Also, he saw red. Then white and then nothing. Truly nothing. " _Is this blindness?"_ There was nothing he could see which scarred him because he knows he has his eyes open. Why can't he see? He started to panic a little on the inside. But then, his Aura sense came into play. And with that, he saw everyone. More clearly than ever. Even though they were only blue outlines, shaded in various shades of blue, Red felt like he never saw more clearly. The emotions of every individual were on a silver platter right in front of him. And seeing Giovanni with those disgusting intentions near Cynthia made him even angrier.

Giovanni, on the other hand, got scared. The flames were now out of control and the appearance of the Aura Guardian changed too. The flames weren't just around him like previously. The Aura Guardian was literally on fire. He saw how his shoulders, legs, and arms burn. His eyes turned from deep blue to pure white glow. No iris in his eyes. No pupils. Not even cornea. Just pure white glow. And even those white orbs were on fire. Even though he got scared by this, he couldn't help but admire the power. Throwing those wall pieces back like it was nothing was really astonishing. If only he could make things like this. Create a whole army of them. Ohhh how much easier things would have been.

Red turned his head to wide eyed Cynthia. He didn't look at her for too long before turned his head back to Giovanni.

" **You DARE to hurt my future spouse?! Fine then. Now, I will dare to hurt you!"**

"DO IT!" yelled out Giovanni to the Psychic that hold Cynthia hostage. The emotionless Psychic wanted to make the slice with telekinesis, but something stopped her.

In a blink of any eye, Red appeared in front of Cynthia and grabbed the knife by the handle. And for the first time, the corners of Psychics' mouth twitched a little. Like it was nothing, Red grabbed the knife and threw it at another Psychic in the room. This time at the one holding his Pokemon. And he hit the spot on the leg which caused the Psychic to kneel.

He immediately registered a bunch of sharp rocks from the wall being thrown at him by the third Psychic in the room. But to Red, it all seemed to slow. Even the traveling of the knife through the air seemed slower than usual. Red somehow felt really fast.

The thing that happened next could be explained only like the Aura Guardian duplicated himself. Giovanni saw the Aura Guardian at the three places at the same time delivering blows to his three Psychics. The one still holding Cynthia hostage received a spin kick to the stomach. The one kneeling was grabbed by the shoulders and thrown at the wall, and the one who trapped Red earlier between the walls received a powerful punch right to the face. In addition, these blows were no ordinary blows. The kick and the punch were engulfed in a white/blue flames, possibly adding power to the blows.

All this happened in a single moment for Giovanni to witness. And all three were knocked out by a single blow.

It took not even a minute to have the tables turned. Cynthia was released from her Psychic trap and fell down to the floor. The Psychics were lying down on the floor with nasty bruises received from Red. And all the Pokemon behind and near Re were freed too.

With the flames still high in the skies, Ash slowly walked up to Giovanni. The appearance of the Aura Guardian with his eyes still on fire created a greatly intimidating presence.

" **The day of reckoning has come, Giovanni."**

Giovanni's eyes widened when he heard those words. Then he gritted his teeth in frustration.

"So... what now... are you going to hand me to the police outside?" asked Giovanni when the Aura Guardian got face to face with him.

" **Not yet. I promised to distort your spine for what you did to Cynthia didn't I?"**

And then, a loud scream echoed through the room.

* * *

" _Quickly, we don't have much time!"_ yelled out Lucario as he, Gardevoir, Metagross, Torterra, Infernape, and Pikachu ran through the halls of Team Rocket HQ all alone.

" _Sorry guys, but I am not the fastest."_ apologized Torterra, who tried to ran as fast as he could, but being a tortoise Pokemon made it difficult so he was far behind.

" _We are nearly there! Come on!"_ yelled out Pikachu.

As the six Pokemon crew was running through the halls, they turned around the corner and finally saw what they were looking for. A giant hole in the wall with debris all over the place.

They immediately ran towards this exit. Though the whole time, the only light source was Infernape's fire on top of his head. But as soon as they found the huge hole in the wall, they saw moonlight at the end of the hall. Which was rather strange since they were still underground.

They run to the hole in the wall and stopped as soon as they were in. The hall ended there. And right in front of them was a giant crater in the ground. A quarter of square kilometers of ground was now a giant crater that went down at least a 50 meters from the place where they were standing. All around them were ruble, destroyed furniture, trees and everything else in between.

" _Where is he?!"_ asked Pikachu unfazed by the destruction, looking at Lucario, who immediately pointed to the center of the creator. " _There."_ he said.

" _Torterra, now it's your turn."_ said Pikachu who lead the group.

Torterra arrived at the spot little later, and seeing Lucario pointing at the center, he knew what to do. Torterra 's claws glowed and he sank the claws into the floor. Suddenly the ground was raised up and the Pokemon could step down upon them to the center of the crater.

" _I will wait here."_ said Torterra, knowing he would only slow them down again. He did his part, he used Rock climb to help them down, now it's on them. The others nodded and ran down to the center of the crater.

When they were on the hills of rubble and walking to the center of the crater, Lucario now knew exactly where he was.

" _He is right there!"_ said Lucario as he pointed to the small, elevated pile of debris.

Metagross's eyes glowed and he lifted the rubble and trees that were in here too.

" _Carefully..."_ Gardevoir said with concern, looking at the rubbles being slowly lifted.

" _I know."_ Metagross replied.

" _How is he?"_ Pikachu turned to Lucario.

" _Still alive and breathing. But we have to move quickly. It is only a matter of time before he will be squished in there."_ stated Lucario.

" _I am trying."_ said Metagross who started to sweat oil. Yeah, one wrong move with Psychic and it will collapse on him. No pressure. No pressure at all.

" _You can do it."_ Gardevoir tried to cheer Metagross up in her gentle voice.

" _He is pretty lucky though. Normally he would be dead already_." said Infernape, looking around him, seeing all the destruction. When he looked back, he received unfriendly stares from his friends.

" _Hey, I don't mean it badly, but look at all of this destruction. He has to have a lot of luck when the rubble fell so conveniently that it didn't crush him."_ explained Infernape.

" _I think his luck was aided by his Psychic abilities."_ stated Lucario. He knew that this is no luck. More of luck and skill. He is 99% sure that before the debris fell on him, he used his Psychic to move the rocks slightly to left and right to shield him from more of the rubble.

" _Guys, could you be quiet, Metagross has to concentrate at every single movement he makes."_ Pikachu turned to his friends. Metagross would thank Pikachu if he wasn't focusing on pulling out a grey boulder.

Slowly but surely, the rubble were out of the way. " _I got him."_ said Metagross. The hole now created by Metagross was pretty deep. All the other Pokemon surrounded the hole in anticipation and watched their friend being lifted from the hole.

Mewtwo's body now levitated above the hole from which he was pulled from. Bits of concrete was falling from his body. His legs broken, with a bone sticking out in his right leg. He looked bruised, bloodied, and sore. The others sadly looked at their beaten, unconscious friend and got to work.

Metagross put Mewtwo gently on his own flat head. Gardevoir immediately jumped on Metagross's head and got to work. She closed her eyes and with Heal Pulse, she ran her hand above his body to see what was wrong.

" _How is his condition?"_ asked Lucario.

" _Not good. His legs are broken. Two ribs broken. Several fractured bones and internal bleeding."_ Gardevoir stated sadly. " _He needs professional help."_

" _Go. Teleport him to the guys at the main entrance and ask for help. We will get there as soon as we can."_ said Lucario. Gardevoir flashed him a lovely smile and teleported herself with Mewtwo's body out of the crater. The smile she gave Lucario created a relatively dumb looking smile on Lucario's face too.

" _He is not even trying to hide it at this point..."_ thought Pikachu when he saw Lucario and Gardevoir interact. And when Gardevoir was out of there, the whole headquarters caught in blue flames.

" _That's new..."_ said Lucario who recognized this as Aura. After admiring the night sky for a moment, the Pokemon set off to the mysterious Aura flames.

* * *

" _Father, I did it..."_ He won. Ash let out a big sigh of relief. It felt like not just a boulder, but the whole planet dropped from his heart. He felt free like never before. Ash was taking deep breaths for about a minute now. It's finally over he realized. Well. For the most part...

The flames around him were diminishing as Giovanni lied unconscious by his feet. He closed eyes to savor the moment of peace and just let his mind wander for the first time in what felt like forever. However, his moment of peace was ruined by Cynthia who ran to him and hugged Ash tightly, burying her face into Ash's cloak.

"I am sorry. I am sorry. I am sorry. I am so sorry... I just wanted to help... I didn't want Mewtwo to... I am sorry..." she mumbled with face buried in Ash's chest.

Firstly, Ash was surprised that Cynthia overlooked the fact that Ash just broke Giovanni's spine, possible making him immobile for the rest of his life. He knew he was cruel, but he couldn't care less. He wanted sweet revenge for his father and all the people he hurt. And he did just that. They say vengeance doesn't fulfill you once you got it. What a lie. He felt fulfilled like never in his life.

A sob in his cloak broke his chain of thoughts. The fact he still sensed everything with his Aura helped a lot because if he didn't he would say a lot of things that he might regret later. Cynthia right now was completely different from the one he spent last month with. Depression, sadness, and grief could be sensed from her even from the people who do not control Aura. She was completely broken. She knows she made a mistake. If he wouldn't feel all of her emotions, he might just start yelling what was she thinking going inside an uncharted territory on her own. But seeing her on the bottom, he could only hug her back, pet her head and say.

" **It's alright... Everything work out in the end**..." said Ash still in his kinda mystic and otherworldly voice.

"It- it's not O-OK. Mewtwo, h-he d-d-died because of me." defeated Cynthia managed to choke her words up burying her head even further up to Ash's chest, not having the courage to look him in the eyes.

" **He didn't die..."** answered Ash.

Ash felt Mewtwo's Aura slowly leaving his body when he neared the entrance to Giovanni's office. So he quickly sent his best Pokemon to help him in his fight. Till this moment, Mewtwo is still conscious, right in front of the main entrance. But his Aura is nearly not existing. Hopefully, with Gardevoirs help, he will survive.

"R- really?" Cynthia asked, finally looking Ash to his eyes, only instead of the beautiful blue eyes finding only white glow and blue flames around. With puffy eyes full of tears, she hoped Mewtwo made it out alive.

" **He is in Gardevoir's care at the main entrance now. He is** weak and beaten up, but he should survive." Ash said as his voice was getting back to normal.

"Thank god..." she mumbled as she pressed her head on Ash's chest again. "I am so sorry Ash..." she shut her eyes and apologized yet again.

Even though she apologized so many times already, Ash still felt kinda betrayed. He knows she must have done this because she was worried about him, but that still doesn't change the fact she went behind his back and put herself in danger. Does she know what she means to him or wasn't he clear enough?

"I forgive you. Just... don't do this ever again. Please..." Ash tried to sound as gentle as he could with his deep voice back to normal. By now the flames already disappeared and his eyes were back to their usual color.

"I promise... I promise I will not do this kind of thing ever again..." she said.

It helped Cynthia a little. But she still felt terrible about what she did. She knows very well that Ash won't ask anything from her in return except this promise. She betrayed his trust. He may never trust her completely again. When he was finally opening up to her, she did this stupid thing. She tried to think of a way to make it up to him. Whatever he wants, she will try to meet the demands. Ash should hate her for what she did. But he doesn't. Or at least he doesn't show it. He is just too kind for his own good.

How does he not yell at her for what she did, Cynthia wondered. In a way, she would welcome it. She doesn't deserve this gentle treatment.

"What do you want me to do Ash? Ask anything." Cynthia lifted her head and looked Ash into his eyes.

"If you could wait for me a little longer, I would be happy." Ash said gently, petting Cynthia's head.

"W-What?" asked Cynthia who still had her eyes red from all the crying.

"There is still one base to take down, Cynthia. My work is mostly done, but there are still some grunts I have to catch." said Ash pulling Cynthia away from the hug, so he could see her face.

"Y-You don't want me with you inside the Haven?" asked hurt Cynthia. There it is. She knew he is angry at her.

"I do. But my mom needs you more right now. If you could keep an eye on her while I take care of the remains of Team Rocket, I would be happy." Ash gently said and he placed his right hand on her cheek.

Why won't he just command her to get out of the Haven? Why is he keeping his calm right now? She wants him to lash out. Cynthia feels like she is getting out of this way too easily.

"Whatever you say... But what about your nightmares?" asked Cynthia.

Ash chuckled. "Don't worry. I will be alright. They are just dreams after all. On the other hand, my mom lives in a dream where everyone she ever loved is dead. She needs your help more than I do. And now, it should be safe enough for you to go back" said Ash. He would go himself, but there is still the chance some desperate grunt will attack his mom for revenge, out of desperation. And he will not risk that when he is so close to the end now.

" _Can you stop being so perfect for at least a second?"_ Cynthia feels like she doesn't even deserve him.

"Alright. I will take care of her." she hung her head low. Just imagining living a life without Ash again is saddening. " _When did I become so clingy_?!" this thought stormed inside her mind. Is this what being in love feels like?

"Don't worry. I estimate that I will be back by Christmas. You will not even realize that I will be gone." Ash said and lifted Cynthia's chin so she was eye to eye with him.

Not realizing that he will be gone?! Christmas is about three months away! Of course, she will realize he is gone! Is this her punishment? That... is somehow far too cruel. You can't just tell a girl that you love her and put her on a waiting board for another three months!

"That's far too long..." Cynthia quietly said. Still looking into Ash's eyes. Suddenly, Ash crashed his lips with Cynthia's. But now, the kiss was not brief and sweet. Driven by sheer passion alone, Ash kinda lost himself and roughly pushed Cynthia on the desk. And just when he was going to experiment with Cynthia's lips, someone ruined the moment.

" _Interesting place for offspring making. Couldn't you wait at least an hour?"_ Pikachu asked with a devilish, who was now in the doorway with the other Pokemon who went to fetch Mewtwo. And all the other ones. Ash completely forgot that they weren't alone.

Lucario was wide eyed as nearly every other Pokemon in the room. They saw those brief kisses between them in the Haven, but right now, Ash tackled Cynthia to the table like he would take her right here right now.

Cynthia was equally wide eyed the whole time. The tackle was out of nowhere and she was surprised. Pleasantly surprised. By now she even got used to the beard which tingled her every time Ash kissed her. Only from those few seconds, she felt the heat between her legs raising. Which is very weird since four unconscious people were laying in the same room and Pokemon were watching them. " _What is wrong with me? I was never horny like this..."_ Cynthia thought as she tried to calm her privates and her red cheeks.

In front of her, Ash himself was shocked. He was watching that grey eye and pink lips far too long. Something snapped in him and he had a sudden urge to kiss Cynthia. And he felt like he could let loose for a bit. They are now a couple, right? So that shouldn't be a problem. And if it was, Cynthia would slap him right back on track. Right? With Pikachu's devil gaze upon him, Ash quickly shook his head and replied to Pikachu.

"I- I wasn't planning to make offsprings right now." Ash stuttered out.

"W-w-w-what?" asked red faced Cynthia.

It took a second for Ash to realize Cynthia doesn't speak in pokespeech and how his sentence sounded.

"Ehmm... Just clarifying things for Pikachu..." Ash explained scratching the back of his head.

" _Plans don't often go how they are planned out, do they_?" asked Pikachu teasingly as he ran to his trainer.

"Shut up or no ketchup for you." Ash said to Pikachu which earned a frown from Pikachu.

" _You are a devil."_ said Pikachu frowning. " _In more ways than one." w_ inking, Pikachu looked at Ash and Cynthia which brought a blush to Ash's cheeks.

After a few more teases from his other Pokemon, Ash finally shut them all up. Cynthia was slowly walking behind Ash, with a red face and head low because of embarrassment. She isn't embarrassed about Pikachu's teasing that much. More because that Cynthia realized, that she wouldn't mind the... offspring making, as Pikachu put it, with Ash.

Eventually, Ash and the other Pokemon picked the unconscious four bodies in the room and exited Giovanni's office. Nearly free from their mission. Now the only thing that matters is Mewtwo and his well being. They can only hope Gardevoir stabilized him and he is going to make full recovery.

* * *

A few hours later, it was middle of the night. And even though most people should sleep and prepare for the next day, the big maple tree near Pallet Town was swarming with people. It was hard to miss a giant maple tree on fire and the Northern lights in the sky lighting up the surrounding area from before. And in the age where technology blooms, people with phones in Pallet town recorded the whole event. And shortly after, reporters with cameraman's showed up to the place with all their equipment.

And since the Jenny's and Rangers were handcuffing all the grunts they caught, the reporters came just in time for the juicy stuff.

But before all the media showed up, a helicopter descended in a clearing behind the forest. A medical helicopter. As soon as Gardevoir appeared with Mewtwo in her arms, director Jenny didn't need any further instructions to contact Nurse Joy from Viridian City and sent an ICU in a helicopter to heal the beaten Pokemon. Thankfully, Gardevoir managed to keep Mewtwo alive until the helicopter arrived.

A few minutes later, Red emerged from the main entrance, dragging an unconscious body of Giovanni by his collar. And behind him, Cynthia came forward with Red's army of Pokemon. In this army, Charizard, Torterra, and Aggron were carrying the three unconscious Psychics. And the crowd was immediately welcomed by Cynthia Pokemon who swarmed Cynthia and greeted the chuckling Champion. As Jackie start asking questions about what happened, Cynthia took it upon herself and explain that she was teleported to Giovanni for leverage and the whole hostage situation, without mentioning the relationship Cynthia has with Red.

"What happened in there?" asked Lance.

The response he received was only Giovanni being thrown at his feet. "Where is Mewtwo?" asked the Aura Guardian coldly. Lance sighed. Seems like no information will be granted... Lance pointed with his head to the left, towards trees in the area, and Red and all his Pokemon went in that direction. Cynthia, on the other hand, went to her own Pokemon and see how they were doing.

As this went on, director Jenny and Steven were calling back all the groups around the base to gather at the main entrance and bring their catches with them.

Ash reached the clearing where the helicopter descended and seeing Mewtwo in a state like this was painful. His strongest Pokemon now lying under near the helicopter, with his legs twisted into unnatural positions, bruises everywhere and blood seeping from various wounds. Nurse Joys and all the other doctors running around him, attaching all kinds of life support tech, it was too much for Ash.

" _He will survive."_ Gardevoir reassured Ash, when she saw Ash's Aura flames getting out of control again.

Ash saw the Team Rocket trio at the sidelines, against the tree, James hugging Jessie with Meowth on Jessie's lap. They too saw him emerge from the cave. Seeing them alright, both parties gave each other a nod. Knowing all is well, Ash focused his attention elsewhere.

All the Pokemon watched Gardevoir work her magic. And Ash with Aura sense looked at the other people behind the trees and how they fare. And what surprised him was seeing that blonde haired bitch that tortured him in a Light Screen cube. Emotions getting better of him, he stood up and went to her at a quick pace.

"Release the barrier, Milotic." said Ash coldly once he reached the group of people again.

Milotic and Cynthia surprised on how fast Ash appeared behind them stared at him for a moment. Then there was Domino, who had a look of absolute fear written all over her face. She heard Giovanni's scream all the way to here and she saw how they lost, which her mind is still processing. How could that happen?

"Milotic..." said Ash again impatiently. When Milotic saw Cynthia giving her a simple nod, she complied.

"Wait!" yelled out Domino in the cube. But it was too late. Ash grabbed her by the collar and threw her against the tree few meters from their initial spot. Domino didn't even have time to fall back to the ground, because a large hand grabbed her by the neck and pinned her against the tree.

"Now... what should I do to you..." asked Ash trying to mimic the sleazy voice she was using to talk to him during their torture sessions.

Domino struggled under his grip, smashing into his hand that was holding her, but to no avail. He didn't budge.

"Oh, I know." Ash said and then he leaned to her ear and whispered.

"How about I give you to some sick men that would do to you the same things you did to those poor women?" Ash whispered to her ear.

"Y-You wouldn't..." said Domino who still believed that Aura Guardians are too good to do something like that.

"I broke Giovanni's spine which can put him into a wheelchair. What makes you think I wouldn't throw you to some cell in the prison with most terrifying rapists, tortures, and murders so you could feel what the others under your hand felt? What I FELT? You don't deserve the luxury of an ordinary prison cell."

"H- HELP!" Domino desperately yelled out.

Suddenly everyone surrounded Ash and pinned Domino against the tree. "Stop this madness!" said Lance. And all the others watched the scene outfield around them.

"That's cute. You think they can stop me now? You truly are dumber than you look." said Ash. Ash heard some wet sound. He looked down and saw the source of the sound.

"Pathetic. Soiling yourself when I didn't even start... It's not so fun when there isn't that collar around my neck to keep me in check, is it?" asked Ash trying to sound as disgusting as he could.

"I SAID STOP!" yelled out Lance once again and he prepared to take some actions. Only to be stopped by Ash's army of Pokemon. All people were getting worried at what Red will do next. Even Cynthia. She saw Ash's intimidation act, but this time, this is the person that tortured him. Will he be able to keep a cool head even in a situation like this?

What a disgusting human. He obviously never intended to send her to the place he described. Although he knows she deserves it. Maybe he should. But seeing Domino shedding tears, Ash had enough. Truly disgusting woman. With an unpleasing groan, Ash threw her on the ground like an old rug and went away. Which was a relief to a lot of people.

It was around this time reporters began to show up. Knowing this will get public and Ash not wanting any publicity right now, he pulled Cynthia aside to give her a goodbye.

"Will you wait for me?" asked Ash when he dragged her behind a Pomeg berry bush. Even though he was still mad at her for what she did, he still loves her. And after this experience, he would prefer Cynthia to stay out of danger as long as it takes. Especially when he knows she is as stupid as he is, with throwing himself into dangerous situations and all that. The thing is, he has luck on his side for some strange reason. She clearly does not. So why tempt the fate anymore?

"I will count days. Just, make sure my count will be as short as possible." Cynthia gently said giving Ash a short, sweet kiss. " _If there wouldn't be so many people around, I would be all over you."_ Cynthia thought and immediately after turned red at her own thoughts. " _WHAT THE?! COME ON CYNTHIA GET A GRIP!"_ Maybe that intimidating act Ash performed on Domino has a completely opposite effect on her than on Domino. Which is slightly disturbing...

" _I have really weird kinks_..." she thought.

"I will do my best to come back as soon as possible." Ash gave Cynthia a warm smile and he went for another sweet kiss, but before he even touched those sweet pink lips, he disappeared with all of his Pokemon except Mewtwo.

Ash felt something wasn't right when he didn't meet Cynthia's lips so he opened his eyes. His Pokemon were all around him, in a place none of those Pokemon were before. In fact, he wasn't in this place either. Marble pillars in a place what looked like the universe itself.

"Welcome to my domain, Ash Ketchum of Pallet Town. Long time no see." said the omnipotent presence of the llama God, Arceus.

* * *

 **Author's note: Aaaand another cliffhanger. So what will be next? Well, this is the end of the main story. I will write kind of an Epilogue that will be 2-3 chapters long and then this fic will be completed. But don't worry, it's not the end.**

 **There will be a sequel. You know how I planned to have Ash come back to society in the beginning? Yeah, that should happen shortly after prologue. So it got postponed. Like, 9 months postponed... Funny how I planned to write something completely different and ended up with this.**

 **So yeah that should be a sequel. The tournament. The Omega Championship that will be mainly about Pokemon battles. And of course, AshxCynthia fluff will be more prevalent. And to not detour from my initial plan, no villains for that story. Just some rivals like Paul, Barry, even Cynthia and of course, the biggest one of them all, Tobias. It will all be about that event. Hopefully, with more humorous undertone. Don't know how long that will be, but we'll see.**

 **That's all from me. Faptime's out.**

 **Ash's Pokemon in The Haven and their moveset:**

 **Pikachu (Male) – Thunder, Quick Attack, Iron Tail, Volt Tackle**

 **Luxray (Female) – Thunder Fang, Crunch, Volt Switch, Wild Charge**

 **Bulbasaur (Male) – Vine Whip, Razor Leaf, Leech Seed, Solar Beam**

 **Meganium (Female) – Grassy Terrain, Magical Leaf, Vine Whip, Petal Dance**

 **Sceptile (Male) – Leaf Storm, Solar Beam, Leaf Blade, Double Team**

 **Torterra (Male) – Leaf Storm, Energy Ball, Rock Climb, Synthesis**

 **Feraligatr (Male) – Ice Fang, Crunch, Slash, Bulldoze**

 **Crawdaunt (Male) – Bubble Beam, Knock Off, Vice Grip, Harden**

 **Kingler (Male) – Water Gun, Metal Claw, Crabhammer, Hyper Beam**

 **Floatzel (Male) - Aqua Jet, Hydro Pump, Sonic Boom, Ice Punch**

 **Milotic (Female) – Aqua Tail, Water Pulse, Scald, Twister,**

 **Torkoal (Male) - Heat Wave, Overheat, Iron Defense. Rock Slide**

 **Typhlosion (Female) – Flamethrower, Eruption, Aerial Ace, Swift**

 **Infernape (Male) – Overheat, Flare Blitz, Mach Punch, Dig**

 **Charizard (Male) – Flamethrower, Dragon Rage, Dragon Tail, Seismic Toss**

 **Noctowl (Male) – Confusion, Sky Attack, Air Slash, Extrasensory**

 **Swellow (Male) – U-Turn, Roost, Aerial Ace, Double Team**

 **Staraptor (Male) – Quick Attack, Wing Attack, Brave Bird, Close Combat**

 **Tauros x30 (Males) – Fissure, Take Down, Horn Attack, Zen Headbutt**

 **Snorlax (Male) – Ice Punch, Rest, Hyper Beam, Body Slam**

 **Donphan (Male) – Rollout, Earthquake, Take Down, Hyper Beam**

 **Gliscor (Male) – X-Scissor, Fire Fang, Giga Impact, Stone Edge**

 **Heracross (Male) – Megahorn, Sleep Talk, Focus Punch, Hyper Beam**

 **Muk (Male) – Sludge Bomb, Body Slam, Mud Bomb, Acid Spray**

 **Toxicroak (Male) – Sludge Wave, Poison Jab, Sucker Punch, Low Sweep**

 **Glalie (Male) – Ice Beam, Shadow Ball, Protect, Crunch**

 **Garchomp (Male) – Dig, Slash, Dragon Rush, Draco Meteor**

 **Sableye (Male) – Shadow Ball, Power Gem, Will-O-Wisp, Detect**

 **Lucario (Male) – Aura Sphere, Blaze Kick, Bone Rush, Force Palm**

 **Metagross (Genderless) - Meteor Mash, Gyro Ball, Psychic, Flash Cannon**

 **Aggron (Male) – Metal Claw, Metal Sound, Iron Head, Thunderbolt**

 **Weavile (Female) – Night Slash, Metal Claw, Hidden Power, Blizzard**

 **Absol (Female) – Night Slash, Razor Wind, Attract, Fire Blast**

 **Tyranitar (Female) – Stone Edge, Earthquake, Dark Pulse, Dragon Claw**

 **Gardevoir (Female) – Teleport, Light Screen, Calm Mind, Heal Pulse**

 **Mewtwo (Male) – Psystrike, Psychic, Dream Eater, Hypnosis**

 **That's it for now.**

 **Reviews are appreciated.**


	27. Epilogue I: One Wish

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Pokemon or any of these characters.**

 **Author's note: So Epilogue is starting. I don't have much to say, only it's on the more filler side. But I hope you will enjoy the chapter nonetheless.**

 **SHOUT-OUT TO YoungsterAustin. I AM GRATEFUL THAT HE TOOK HIS TIME WITH THIS CHAPTER AND RAN THROUGH IT. THANK YOU!**

"classic conversation"

" _thoughts/telepathy/link"_

 **That is all for now. Enjoy.**

* * *

 **I. Epilogue: One Wish**

A cold, cloudy autumn morning loomed over Pewter City. The city obsessed with fossil Pokemon, rocks, and the first ever Pokemon Gym. Pewter City even has a one of a kind Museum of Science, a famed research facility where people are able to revive fossil Pokemon. The facility got famous for working with professors from all over the Pokemon world, but mostly by working with the local Pokemon professor, Samuel Oak.

The town wasn't the biggest in Kanto, like Viridian City, for example, it's a rather small city where the majority of people know each other by their names. One of the beauties of the town is the beautiful view of Mt. Moon, overlooking the town from not so far away. The view is especially beautiful in the evenings.

But that's not why she arrived here. Not because of the museum, Mt. Moon, or to mine some rocks. The reason is pretty simple, it's because of the one of the kind doctor. Doctor for not only Pokemon but for humans as well.

It's quite an accomplishment. There are doctors that specialize in both fields in the world, but most of them are much older than Brock Harrison in Pewter City. In fact, he is the youngest doctor for both fields there ever was. By a twelve year difference to the second youngest. So it's safe to say, there must be something special about him.

And to be honest, even that isn't the reason why she is here. Yes, she is ill, and yes her Seviper is ill too, but both of them know very well it's just a cold. And not a strong one at that. Both of them are nearly fine already.

The young lady reached her destination. At least she thought so. She reached to her purple down jacket and pulled out a guide book she received at the train station, flipping through the pages to find the doctors office. And at the very last page, there was the photo of the building and the map of its location. Looking at the building, it wasn't anything spectacular. One of the blandest building she ever saw. Like a small, two-story high, white box with windows and brown door in the middle.

She guessed that the people in Pewter City like things simple because the Gym was pretty simplistic in design too. It's easy to see the rock-based Gym from here. The staircase to the Gym is right next to her. Maybe she could visit the Gym too.

After she confirmed she is at the right place, she looked at the building in more detail. There was no sign that this is a doctor's office. „ _Seems like he still doesn't have everything worked up..."_

With a nervous mind, she took a deep breath and walked inside. The first thing she registered entering the room was the reception at the front. But there was no one there. She looked around, but still nothing and no one. The room was completely empty except the few flowers in the corners and an absolute mess on the receptionist's table.

„Hello?! Is anyone here?" Lucy in an unsure voice asked the empty room.

No answer. Looking around, she took notice how the inside of the building is decorated in a better way than the outside. The walls were painted in beige color, with some pictures of human and Pokemon anatomy all around. With receptionist desk and computer right in front of her.

As Lucy was scanning the room, she failed to notice that another person entered the doctor's office. The person didn't greet her and walked past her to the room to the left. When the person walked past her, the sound of footsteps snapped Lucy out of her trance.

An elderly woman with a walking stick was slowly walking to another hall, with doors at the end. Seeing this must be some regular patient, Lucy decided to talk to the old lady.

„Excuse me." she lightly packed to the lady.

„Yes?" asked the old lady in a slightly raspy tone.

„Where am I going to find Dr. Harrison?" asked Lucy to the grey haired lady wearing a brown Jacket with white fur around the neck and sleeves.

„You mean Brock?" asked the old lady with a raised eyebrow.

„Uhmm... Yes?" unsure Lucy replied. Why don't they address him as Dr. Harrison? It is pretty disrespectful, to be honest. Seeing the confused face of Lucy, the old lady chuckled.

„You are a new one, aren't you young one."

„Yes, I am."

„Then follow me." the old lady said with a smile. And as they were walking to the door to the left, Lucy had to ask.

„Why is there no one at the reception?"

„Ahhhh. That. You see the receptionist is also Brock's little sister. And since Brock has a lot of work in here, his sister usually goes to the town, or to the Gym to fetch something for him. Be it papers, medicines or even just a lunch for him. That young man would starve if he didn't have his sister to keep an eye on him. So empty reception is much more common than you would have guessed" answered the lady.

„He has a sister?" asked Lucy. It's not surprising that he has a lot of work. He is a big topic among doctors and professors alike.

„You don't know? In total, he has 9 younger siblings. Apart from Yolanda, you could see his little brother, Timmy, work here in summer as a cleaner. And I have to say, he is as hard working as his bigger brother." said the old lady.

„Wow..." Lucy only said. Nine siblings. How could Brock put up with that? She has one sister and that's more than enough to tickle her nerves from time to time.

Finally, they reached the door. And upon opening it, she saw a bunch of people with their Pokemon in a rather gloomy waiting room. People of all ages, sat in their seats, sometimes with smaller Pokemon in their laps, waiting for their turn. The room was painted in yellow color, with chairs around the room and a small old CR TV on top of some board.

Looking around, there wasn't much space where she could sit. And seeing the old lady with a walking stick, as a younger and relatively healthy person, Lucy let the elderly take seats.

„Look, mom, it's already starting!" said a small black-haired boy with a Caterpie in his lap to his mom next seated next to him. The excited boy bouncing on the chair was pointing at the old TV, where Charles Goodshow just walked to the stage with a microphone in hand. The room on the television was nicely decorated, with a red curtain and lights upon him. Judging by the decorations, Charles is in a theater.

„ **Good morning everyone we're live from Kanto's Chrysanthemum Island. As many of you are aware, there are big reconstructions going on this island. And many of you speculated that it was because of me. And you are partly right. A few months ago, my friend came into my office with the most insane plan I ever heard. But for him, it was not an insane plan, only a dream. Dream to organize the biggest event that this world ever saw. For decades, we divided the trainers based on the region where they came from. We did give them a chance to find out how they fared only against their own regional fellow trainers, but not against the whole world. And so, here we are today. To announce the most ambitious project the world ever saw. I promised my friend that I will not take the glory of the announcement, so now I am giving the microphone to my dear friend Scott, who will give you the details."**

On the display, Charles handed the microphone to a rather chubby guy in a blue shirt with white clouds.

„ **Ahhhh. Good to be here. Hello everyone. Wherever you are listening, be it in television or radio, live or a record, in a living room or in an office, I want every single one of you to be invited to the biggest event you will ever see. And I do not exaggerate. Pokemon trainers and fans of the Pokemon battles, cock your ears because this is an opportunity you don't wanna miss."** Scott began his speech. Being the celebrity he is, there was no shyness in his approach of the speech.

„ **I always had a dream. Dream to find the strongest Pokemon trainer this world has to offer. Maybe we already know the person as one of the Champions or Elite Four members. Or maybe, there is a hidden gem somewhere in this world that just needs a chance and opportunity to shine. And who knows, maybe it's even you, my fellow watcher!"** Scott pointed at the camera, with a big smile.

„ **I came to Charles with a vision to organize the biggest tournament in Pokemon battles this world has ever seen. And that vision is becoming a reality. Right here, on this very island, we will create history. If you think you have what it takes, sign up for this tournament at our websites below, or come to the Chrysanthemum Island at this address and hand your sign in personally. There are no further requirements to enter. The only thing you need is your Pokedex ID, and you are free to go. But I warn you. Even when the entry is easy, the battles will be not. In this tournament, every single Gym Leader, Elite Four member, and Champion is entering. From all of the regions. And yes, even from Unova and future Champion of Kalos, so you better be ready for tough battles. This is not your regular regional conference. This is the tournament, to determine if you are the very best. The OMEGA CHAMPIONSHIP!"** yelled out Scott in TV as the curtain behind him slide away, revealing the title of the Championship, with a gigantic poster of stadiums.

The stadiums depicted were the future version of those who are still in building stages. The poster depicted the whole of Chrysanthemum Island. With the south part being the town and crowded beaches, and the north part the Stadium part. The part, where 12 stadiums formed a circle with one gigantic stadium in the middle. Even more North of this part is a line of buildings. The line of tall buildings a few steps from the north beach was the place where all the participants will be accommodated. West of the stadiums and the beach is a bunch of buildings with health cross on top of them, depicting Pokemon centers. Then there is the East part, with a much bigger building near the ancient castle.

„ **This is the place where we will write history. Beautiful Island with hundred years of unique history and traditions is waiting for you to explore its beauties. One of the beauties is this majestic ancient castle in the middle of the forest, where according to legends, Aura Guardians had one of their hideouts during their wars."** Scott pointed with a laser at the castle illustration on the map.

„ **But we should focus more on the tournament than on the island. You will have time to explore the castle once you will arrive. As you can see, there are nineteen stadiums in total. Every single one of them is able to hold 300 000 spectators and is named after one of the Pokemon Types."** Scott explained with enthusiasm, pointing at the nineteen different colored stadia at the map.

„ **Except this one. This big stadium in the middle. This beauty can take in 1 000 000 people to watch the best of the best in this tournament. I call it, the OMEGA STADIUM!"** excited Scott announced. The camera from TV zoomed at the bigger stadium in the middle, revealing a giant among the buildings around it.

Then he pointed at the line of buildings on the top.

„ **The accommodations for the participants is also already taken care of with this line of buildings near the north beach. And since it's me who is organizing this, comfort is guaranteed. It has the best service of rooms, food and training fields."**

„ **Other then that, there are a bunch of Pokemon Centers where you can still stay overnight. I am sure Nurse Joy's will take good care of you if you need a place to crash in. And since this will be the most heated tournament ever, I made sure that your Pokemon will have the best care they can get. Nurses will be using equipment approved by professors themselves."** Scott pointed to the north-west part of the island where buildings with P and C were depicted.

„ **I know you are wondering what is this new luxury building at the north edge of the town below the forest. Well, this building is reserved for Gym Leaders, Elite Fours, Frontier Brains, and our beloved Champions, to make sure they have privacy during their stay here. After all, nobody wants strangers to sniff around their private life, and our celebrities are the biggest targets."** Scott said with a big grin.

„ **Now, I suggest you plan a trip to the Chrysanthemum Island because so many merchants are gathering to the island in hopes to see you there and entertain you during your stay. Amusement parks, kid competitions, Pokemon parks, Rhyhorn rides, Luvdisc tunnels and much much more are being set up in cities and near the stadiums, so even when there are pauses between Pokemon battles, you are able to enjoy your stay. Kids, teenagers, adults, parents, grandparents, and love couples, entertainment is ensured for all!"** Scott proclaimed, yet again, with enthusiasm that had to reach Arceus himself.

„ **But I haven't answered the most important question. What will the winner win? As expected of every tournament, the winner will receive a trophy. However. Since every regional Champion receives a platinum trophy, I said we need to step up our game. Unfortunately, this beauty is still being made, but I can already reveal, that this trophy is made purely out of a diamond. Smaller than the platinum ones, but much, much more valuable. It's worth is estimated to be over 1 000 000 000 pokedollars. And that's one expensive cup, wouldn't you agree?"** And from above the big image of the map, the big poster of the cup rolled down. Shining diamond polished into a cup. The cup was obviously smaller than the one's Champions get, but not by much. Charles and Scott went all out on this tournament.

„ **Apart from that, the winner also receives 10 000 000 pokedollars as a winning price. It's not that much, but we invested our money into the trophy that the winner will get. That should be their most prized possession."** stated Scott

„ **And lastly, there is the title that winner will pridefully wear until the rest of his days. The Pokemon World Champion."**

„ **That's all from me. If you want more details, visit our website which is running down below."** Scott turned to his right, away from the camera, and after some small talk that was not heard by the microphone, Scott turned back to the camera.

„ **And seeing that Charles doesn't have anything else to say, this is the end of our broadcast. So. One last time, I personally want all of you to invite to the biggest event that will ever be held and find out, who is the very best Pokemon trainer. See ya on the island, and take care."**

And with that, the broadcast on the old TV. Lucy watched the whole thing, standing a few steps away from the door. She of course already knew about this. She helped plan the whole thing and the refreshments at the stadiums, looking for some capable people that would meet the expectations in this Championship.

„Did you see it, mom?! Can I enter?! Can I?" asked the excited boy with a Caterpie in lap.

„You don't have a trainer, Luke. You are still too young." his mom in her forties gently replied.

„Awwww. But I am sure Caterpie would beat everyone. Am I right, Caterpie?" the boy said as he raised Caterpie above his head. The poor worm Pokemon coughed and looked very tired.

„Luke, don't do this to her. You know she is sick." concerned mother said.

„Sorry." apologized for the boy looking down in shame.

Suddenly a brown-haired woman with squinted eyes stormed into the room with a lunch box, dressed in a blue jacket and white skirt. In one second, Lucy thought she saw this girl looking at her, but she ran through the waiting room so fast, it was hard to say if she really took notice of her. After she stormed inside, the young girl immediately disappeared into the doctor's office, leaving Lucy confused in the waiting room.

* * *

„Seems like your Glameow's leg is already healthy, Mrs. Morrison. Let the bandage stay there for 3 days and then you can take it off. The wound should be healed completely by then. With no scar left behind. If her condition changes or Glemeow looks distressed during those 3 days, don't hesitate to come and see me again." said Brock with some papers in hand as he walked the old lady and her cat Pokemon out of his office.

„Thank you, Brock. I still can't believe that a young boy who broke my window 16 years ago is now my doctor." answered the old woman

„You are never going to forget that, will you Mrs. Morrison." sighed Brock and the old lady chuckled at the young doctor.

Suddenly Yolanda stormed into his office. „Seriously Brock, you should find a way to grab lunch before you go to work. I am not your delivery guy!" angry Yolanda shouted and the old lady began laughing at an angry sister.

„I didn't ask you to fetch me something. I can survive without a lunch." said Brock back, remaining calm in front of a patient.

„Shut up or I am going to eat it myself!" yelled Yolanda and she raised her hand with small yellow lunch box and pushed it in front of Brock's face.

„Siblings..." the old lady mumbled. „Well, I occupied this room long enough and the others are waiting. Goodbye Brock." said the old lady. Brock gave her a friendly smile and waved at her as she exited his office.

„You just had to make a scene in front of her..." Disappointed Brock said and he went back to his chair in his office.

His office wasn't anything spectacular. A rather older computer and printer occupied his desk, a bunch of papers left and right and few meters from him a cot and next to it a steel shelf with various equipment such as a tin can with cotton buds, pair of pincers, box with rubber gloves and tissues, bandages and all the other medical supplies. Then there was another table in the far corner of the room, where a jug kettle was located with a bowl of fruit and cutlery. And right next to the doors, was a glass shelf with various medicines. The floor in the room was made out of linoleum and the walls were painted in yellow color except the ceiling which was white.

„Please. Everyone here knows us personally. I think they don't really care." said Yolanda back. Brock meanwhile was looking through few papers and stacking them together.

„Still. What if it was a new patient from elsewhere? That would give me a bad reputation." said Brock who handed piled some papers from the mess on the table into the file and gave it to Yolanda. The orange file was named „Maria Morrison's Glameow." In exchange, Yolanda gave Brock the lunch box.

„It wasn't. Speaking of which, I saw a new patient in the waiting room. Rather exotic looking patient." said Yolanda to Brock who laid the lunch box on the table and grabbed the cup of tea on his office desk to took a sip.

„Exotic looking patient? By what did you make that assumption?" asked Brock curiously. It is surprising. Most of the people who come to his office are rather plain looking. At least in his opinion. And even if there were not, Yolanda would know their name. Maybe it is because he lived in Pewter City so long that he considers his own Town plain looking.

„Easy. There isn't a girl with milky skin, striking red eyes, long black hair with a stripe of red in them wearing very tight black leggings in Pewter City. "

„Oh oh..." Brock panicked.

„Oh oh?" Yolanda raised an eyebrow. „It's just another patient, Brock..." Yolanda reassured him.

Brock stood up and began pacing from in the room left and right, mumbling something along making those nervous steps.

„Oh god. Oh god. What does she like? Which flowers should I give her? Does she like flowers?..." and his rambling continued for a while, expressing his concerns. That was until Yolanda snapped him out of his trance by a light slap. She lost count how many times she had to slap him out of his blunt love confessions. Nothing new here.

„Brock?! What is this suppose to mean? I thought we were over the flirting with patients!" she raised her voice.

„I am! But what if a patient will flirt with me?! What am I supposed to do?! That never happened to me!" Brock voiced his concerns while rubbing his red cheek from the slap. Minute of silence after, a peal of giant laughter came from the doctor's office.

„HAHAHA! Good one Brock... Good one. Like that would ever happen. From what I know, you scared every girl by your romantic shenanigans while you were traveling with your friends. All regions included. And let's not forget this is a doctors office. Not some wild party where girls seek the attention of boys." said Yolanda, wiping the tears from her erupting laughter.

„For your information, this is serious. Apparently, this girl has a crush on me, or if I am REALLY lucky, she has already fallen in love with me when I first met her." frowned Brock as his sister was making fun of him.

„Wait... Are you serious?!" asked Yolanda now with complete seriousness.

„You think I would be panicking like this if I wasn't?! Right behind this door is a girl which isn't spooked by me. By the REAL me. This is most likely my only chance to find someone that accepts me as I am." said Brock. His voice lacked the joy and he got more sad than happy at the prospect of meeting Lucy.

„... Are you sure you are not mistaking her for anyone?"

„You said it yourself. A girl like this isn't in Pewter City or in the villages nearby. It's a perfect description of Lucy from the Battle Pike. And she even called me to ask when are my opening hours. I am sure it's her." Brock sat back on the chair. Elbows supporting his hands, and the hands at his nape looking down on the papers on the table, thinking about what to do.

Yolanda seeing her brother in such a stressed state approached him. From the behind of the chair, she placed a hand on his shoulder trying to calm him down a little.

„Well, brother, I think that you are unreasonably afraid. If what you told me is true, and she has fallen in love with the real you, then you have already won. And even if it is a crush, I am sure if you would show her more of your crazy ideas about romance, she would eventually fall for you. Can't imagine why, but I guess everyone likes different stuff." Yolanda reassured Brock. „Just don't propose as soon as she walks in." Yolanda jokes.

Brock chuckled at his sister's words. „Don't have a ring for that at hand."

„Thankfully. So. What's the history between you two. I don't recall you to take trips to Battle Pike to meet with someone during your studies."

Then and there Brock told Yolanda everything. Even though the sole information that Lucy harbors some feelings for him came from the woman that never saw them interact, he is pretty sure Delia is right. Not just because he hopes this to be true, but because Delia has exceptional talent at reading people. She may not know a thing about Pokemon, but when it comes to humans, she is like a Psychic. A Mind Reader of sorts.

As Brock recalled his encounter with Delia and Misty in her house, he failed to notice that Yolanda sneaked to the door. Yolanda slowly opened them, and peaked to the waiting room, looking for the girl that apparently loves her big brother.

She wasn't hard to find in the full waiting room. Her appearance stuck out like a Weedle in the group of Caterpies. And she had to admit, Lucy is an eye candy to look at. And that comes from her. A girl who just turned 15.

The small gap between the door and doorpost suddenly closed with a loud smack.

„WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" Brock whispered/yelled.

„Examining my future sister-in-law?" Yolanda innocently asked.

„You really want me to lose my doctor license don't you." frustrated Brock said.

„No. But come on, I wanted to have a good look. A girl that is in love with you?! This will never happen again. Oh, I can't wait to tell parents! They were getting worried if they get any grandchildren from you! Mom's go-„

„You will NOT tell a soul about Lucy! This whole thing is just speculation! We don't know for sure that that's the reason she is here! For all we know, she could really want just to examine her and her Seviper." Brock placed his hands on her mouth resulting in mumbled words that he couldn't decipher. He only hopes that nobody in the waiting room heard his sister since they are still right next to the door connecting the two rooms. „You will let me handle this. Do you understand?!" Brock said sternly.

Yolanda reluctantly nodded pulled his hand back from her mouth.

„Though, I am certain that no girl would travel such a long distance just to have a simple cold checked by you if there weren't some other motives. So don't you dare to screw this up!" Yolanda said. She knows very well, that Brock will just get busier every day from now and he will not have much time to look for a future bride. His whole family is aware of it. This is an opportunity Brock must take.

„Yeah, no need to remind me. Now send in another patient. We still have a lot of work to do.

* * *

„Welcome to my domain Ash Ketchum. Long time no see." Arceus greeted his guest into his realm.

Hearing the omnipotent voice, Ash knew that he won't be kissing Cynthia anytime soon. He opened his eyes, and as he thought, Arceus stood before him. The God Pokemon himself lied in front of his throne, with his sons and daughter standing beside him.

„Couldn't you wait for at least a second Arceus? I was in the middle of something," said Ash. It was getting on his nerves honestly. He just got a girlfriend and every time something interesting is happening between them, somebody has to step in.

„ _I think he stepped in just in time. Only he knows what you two would end up doing if you two start kissing."_

„You were watching us?" Ash asked forcefully.

„ _We all did,"_ Pikachu smirked and all of Ash's Pokemon sheepishly smiled at him.

Ash sighed. Why are they so curious about him and Cynthia?! Didn't they see other couples? Oh yeah, right, they didn't. After all, they traveled only with Ash or were at the ranch. Not many chances to see how humans express their love. Add the fact his Pokemon are very curious, and you have them constantly following you when he was with Cynthia.

There was a chuckle, and just by the voice of it, Ash knew it was the God Pokemon. „I am sorry Chosen One, seemed like a lot of fun."

„My pleasure to be the laughing stock for the God too. Is there anything else I can do for you? Like, I don't know, get tortured for a week so you can watch and enjoy the show?!" Ash asked with sarcasm and a slight venom in his voice. Ash is fairly a calm guy after those three years, but even he has a boiling point.

„ _Watch your tone, Chosen One!"_ Palkia protected her father.

„ _YOU WATCH YOUR TONE! DO YOU KNOW WHAT HE WENT THROUGH JUST TO FIX THE MESSES YOU „GODS" CREATED? WHAT ALL OF US WENT THROUGH? GOD FUCKING DAMMIT! HE SAVED YOUR FUCKING WORLD AS YOU FOUR WATCHED! SOME FUCKING GRATITUDE WOULD BE WELCOMED!"_ Charizard's frustration over those three years reached its peak, and now he finally could release them on the „God" Pokemon. Not that he didn't release the on team Rocket Pokemon, but they were just minions of those evil guys. Nothing fulfilling in beating them. Plus, they were hardly a challenge.

Ooo, how many things he intends to say to them. They don't even have a clue. He missed his cubs growing up thanks to Team Rocket. And these four chose Ash as their puppet to do their bidding in the world they created. They create a world and then force someone else to take care of it. Disgusting. Gods that are absolutely incompetent and then act all mighty and powerful. Fuck that.

„ _HOW DARE YOU TO SPEAK TO US LIKE THAT!"_ angry Giratina joined the fight. „ _DO YOU WANT ME TO BEAT YOU UP?!"_ Giratina floated towards Charizard. And since Charizard stepped forward from the group of Pokemon, Charizard was face to face with the giant Giratina.

„ _COME AT ME! I AM NOT AFRAID OF YOU! YOU ARE JUST ANOTHER COCKY LEGENDARY POKEMON WHO NEEDS TO BE SHOVED IN THEIR PLACE!"_ Charizard yelled and did not even flinch when Giratina stepped towards him. Quite the opposite, he stepped closer, so that when his yell released some spit, it landed on Giratina.

„ _ENOUGH!"_ yelled Arceus and his voice shook the entire place to the core. Giratina immediately turned around, bowed and apologized to her father. But Charizard?

„ _OOO YOU SHUT UP TOO! THE ONLY COMMANDS I TAKE ARE FROM HIM!"_ Charizard pointed to Ash behind him. „ _YOU CAN FUCK RIGHT OFF WITH YOUR BABIES. AS FAR AS I AM AWARE, ASH WATCHED AND PROTECTED THE WHOLE WORLD! THE WORLD YOU CREATED! HE EVEN BROUGHT JUDGMENT TO THE EVIL GUYS INSTEAD OF YOU. THOSE CAPTURED PEOPLE PRAYED TO THE GOD TO SAVE THEM, BUT THE ONE WHO CAME WAS ASH, NOT YOU, THE „GOD"! SO IF SOMEONE SHOULD BE CALLED THE GOD IT SHOULD BE HIM."_ Charizard yelled and even his roars shook the whole place. It was not as powerful as Arceus yell, but Charizard surely gives him run for his money. This proclamation forced Arceus to be silent, to the surprise of Ash and his Pokemon. And to some extent, even the creation trio.

And just like that, the place was dead silent. Charizard was getting ready to yell out something again. But he was stopped. „Charizard, that would be enough. I appreciate what you did, but let's talk to Arceus and find the reason why we are here. I doubt it's just because Arceus wanted to ruin the kiss between me and Cynthia."

Ash watched the exchange between the creation trio and Charizard with great interest. And what surprised him even more, was the fact his Pokemon behind him encouraged Charizard to put them to their places. When he made that jab at Arceus, he wanted to address that problem, and ask Arceus why did he not come. Why he left him to suffer when he prayed and begged him to get him out of that hell. Then he saw Dialga, who remained calm during the whole ordeal, and it suddenly hit him. Dialga must saw the future where they succeed and followed the course of actions. „ _They could at least tell me what awaited me..."_

Charizard turned to the creation trio and Arceus. „ _You are lucky my trainer is reasonable. I would have beaten you four to the pulp if he wasn't here."_ And for a short moment, even the creation trio believed that statement. The anger from Charizard was felt all around the Hall of Origin. Charizard then walked to Ash and his Pokemon. „ _Gods... God my ass."_ Charizard mumbled angrily along the short walk and snorted, releasing grey smoke from his nostrils.

„ _Well, that was amusing."_ Pikachu stated when Charizard walked to the group of Pokemon, as all of them supported him and his outburst. None of them had the courage to talk to these Pokemon like that, but seeing Charizard's confident self to threatened these gods without a hint of fear, that was admirable.

„ _Now Arceus, why are we here? As you can see, I would like to get out of this place, before your throne room will turn into a battlefield."_ Ash asked.

It took a long time for Arceus to put himself together. What Charizard said hit it's home and he felt angry. At him and himself too.

„I wanted to personally congratulate you. You fulfilled your mission despite the hard road you had to go through." Arceus politely said.

„ _Congratulations... You know, in YOUR world there are those two words called „thank you" So you should be on your fucking knees and thanking Ash for saving your precious creation."_ Charizard interjected from behind Ash. And this time, Ash couldn't help but chuckle. Seeing Charizard taking none of the crap Arceus has, it just brought warmth to his heart, knowing his Pokemon would go even against the God Pokemon if he disrespects him.

Arceus would grit his teeth if he had a mouth. This orange lizard ticks every nerve in his body that he thought wasn't even possible. He even forgot how it is to feel such emotion. This frustration. With his kids, it was different kinds frustration when they misbehave. But this is the frustrations that boil his blood to unimaginable lengths.

„ _Thank you."_ Arceus forced those words out. But he didn't kneel. That was really beneath him and he refused to bow to anybody.

Wow, Charizard forced Arceus to thank him. That's just... He remembers Charizard as a small Charmander that nearly died in the rain. Now, that nearly dead Pokemon forced a god to thank him. What monster did he create?

„Don't you think it's a little too early to thank me? There is still one base left. I can still fail." said Ash.

„ _No. From now on, your future is clear, Chosen One. You will complete your mission and go back home."_ Dialga finally made his presence known and spoke from beside the throne. His voice was pleasant and inviting. Not shaken by the turn of events one bit.

„That's reassuring," Ash stated.

„ _I think we should head back then. Sooner we get this done, the sooner I can get spoiled with ketchup by your mom."_ Pikachu licked his mouth, just thinking how Ash's mom would bring him bottle after bottle of ketchup. And seeing Pikachu's dreamy expression, Ash and the other Pokemon smiled.

„ _Not yet,"_ Arceus said. „ _I have a reward for you."_

„I don't want your reward. I just want to go home." Ash said.

„ _I think you don't understand. My reward for you is very special. I am granting you one wish. Any wish. And if it's within my power, I will grant you that wish. It ca-"_ Arceus was about to list everything he can wish for, but Ash jumped into his speech him. And from the declaration, he was already dead set on this particular wish.

„I want my dad back from the dead."

* * *

 **Author's note: Aaaaand done. Again, cliffhangers on both Brock and Ash's sides. Sorry. And I know this is super late update, but hear me out. I began writing Goblin Slayer fanfic to let my mind rest from Pokemon fic, and a lot of people loved the first chapter and so I wrote the second one immediately after. And now, I will have to switch between writing these two fics. Hopefully, I will be able to release new chapters for both of those stories in a month. I was kinda tired from all the writing, but then I wrote first two chapters of Goblin Slayer and finished this one in a week, So I think I am kinda back on track with my writing.**

 **That's all from me. Faptime's out.**

 **Ash's Pokemon in The Haven and their moveset:**

 **Pikachu (Male) – Thunder, Quick Attack, Iron Tail, Volt Tackle**

 **Luxray (Female) – Thunder Fang, Crunch, Volt Switch, Wild Charge**

 **Bulbasaur (Male) – Vine Whip, Razor Leaf, Leech Seed, Solar Beam**

 **Meganium (Female) – Grassy Terrain, Magical Leaf, Vine Whip, Petal Dance**

 **Sceptile (Male) – Leaf Storm, Solar Beam, Leaf Blade, Double Team**

 **Torterra (Male) – Leaf Storm, Energy Ball, Rock Climb, Synthesis**

 **Feraligatr (Male) – Ice Fang, Crunch, Slash, Bulldoze**

 **Crawdaunt (Male) – Bubble Beam, Knock Off, Vice Grip, Harden**

 **Kingler (Male) – Water Gun, Metal Claw, Crabhammer, Hyper Beam**

 **Floatzel (Male) - Aqua Jet, Hydro Pump, Sonic Boom, Ice Punch**

 **Milotic (Female) – Aqua Tail, Water Pulse, Scald, Twister,**

 **Torkoal (Male) - Heat Wave, Overheat, Iron Defense. Rock Slide**

 **Typhlosion (Female) – Flamethrower, Eruption, Aerial Ace, Swift**

 **Infernape (Male) – Overheat, Flare Blitz, Mach Punch, Dig**

 **Charizard (Male) – Flamethrower, Dragon Rage, Dragon Tail, Seismic Toss**

 **Noctowl (Male) – Confusion, Sky Attack, Air Slash, Extrasensory**

 **Swellow (Male) – U-Turn, Roost, Aerial Ace, Double Team**

 **Staraptor (Male) – Quick Attack, Wing Attack, Brave Bird, Close Combat**

 **Tauros x30 (Males) – Fissure, Take Down, Horn Attack, Zen Headbutt**

 **Snorlax (Male) – Ice Punch, Rest, Hyper Beam, Body Slam**

 **Donphan (Male) – Rollout, Earthquake, Take Down, Hyper Beam**

 **Gliscor (Male) – X-Scissor, Fire Fang, Giga Impact, Stone Edge**

 **Heracross (Male) – Megahorn, Sleep Talk, Focus Punch, Hyper Beam**

 **Muk (Male) – Sludge Bomb, Body Slam, Mud Bomb, Acid Spray**

 **Toxicroak (Male) – Sludge Wave, Poison Jab, Sucker Punch, Low Sweep**

 **Glalie (Male) – Ice Beam, Shadow Ball, Protect, Crunch**

 **Garchomp (Male) – Dig, Slash, Dragon Rush, Draco Meteor**

 **Sableye (Male) – Shadow Ball, Power Gem, Will-O-Wisp, Detect**

 **Lucario (Male) – Aura Sphere, Blaze Kick, Bone Rush, Force Palm**

 **Metagross (Genderless) - Meteor Mash, Gyro Ball, Psychic, Flash Cannon**

 **Aggron (Male) – Metal Claw, Metal Sound, Iron Head, Thunderbolt**

 **Weavile (Female) – Night Slash, Metal Claw, Hidden Power, Blizzard**

 **Absol (Female) – Night Slash, Razor Wind, Attract, Fire Blast**

 **Tyranitar (Female) – Stone Edge, Earthquake, Dark Pulse, Dragon Claw**

 **Gardevoir (Female) – Teleport, Light Screen, Calm Mind, Heal Pulse**

 **Mewtwo (Male) – Psystrike, Psychic, Dream Eater, Hypnosis**

 **That's it for now.**

 **Reviews are appreciated.**


	28. Epilogue II: Father and son

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Pokemon or any of these characters.**

 **Author's note: And here we are. Ash wants his dad back, so how will that turn out? Let's see.**

 **SHOUT-OUT TO YoungsterAustin. I AM GRATEFUL THAT HE TOOK HIS TIME WITH THIS CHAPTER AND RAN THROUGH IT. THANK YOU!**

"classic conversation"

" _thoughts/telepathy/link"_

 **That is all for now. Enjoy.**

* * *

 **II. Epilogue: Father and son**

„ _I want my dad back from the dead."_

Ash didn't even have to think twice about what he wanted. Power, money, fame, all of those things are useless to him. The only thing he wants is to be happy once again. To be home. Home, where his family is whole and happy again.

So many things could be wished for instead. Like regenerating his hand. Or wiping all traces of the encounter with Team Rocket from his memory, and his body. Wishing for his nightmares to disappear. Then there are things like power. Wishing to be a Psychic atop of being Aura Guardian. Or a completely new power-up. So many possibilities, yet, there was only one right answer.

Though he feels a little bad. This reward is just for him, and not his Pokemon. He is selfish, and he knows that. But after years of taking hits for others, not getting any compensation or thanks for what he did, for once he felt like he is justified in being selfish. He just hopes his Pokemon don't mind his selfishness. They would go through unimaginable lengths just for him, and he is wasting a wish from a god on one person they don't even know. They proved they would even die for him. Wait, MEWTWO!

„I see..." said Arceus closing his eyes. It was an unexpecting answer for sure. Though, he should have expected this answer.

„Wait! Before you will decide, I have one question for Dialga." Ash quickly spat out, when he remembered the horrible state Mewtwo is in right now. Arceus, Palkia and Giratina all would lift their eyebrows if they had some.

„Speak then, Chosen One." Dialga smiled, knowing full well which question will come.

„Will Mewtwo make full recovery from the encounter with Team Rocket?" Ash asked and the team of Pokemon behind him smiled.

„Yes, even without sacrificing your wish, he will make full recovery, Chosen One." Dialga calmly replied to Chosen One's worries.

Ash let out a big sigh of relief. Seems like he can be selfish this time. He turned to his Pokemon, trying to somehow justify his wish. Seeing them all lined up, ready for anything, even the battle against these four deities, the sight makes him proud.

„Guys, I hope you can all forgive me my selfish nature right now, but after all the things that happened to me, I... I just wa-" Ash choked on his last words, but thankfully, Pikachu stepped in.

„ _I will stop you right there."_ Pikachu stepped out of the crowd of Pokemon and he was standing right in front of his trainer, looking upon his face. His expression was at lost, not knowing how to justify what he wished for. For Pikachu, Ash is an open book, never able to hide his true feelings from his best pal.

„ _Even though this is OUR victory, I don't think any of us wants to stop you from bringing your dad back from the dead. We all saw how troubled you were inside the Haven during those last months. How at lost you were, not knowing what to do, or should I say how scared were you to take the next step. You looked like you were about to break at any moment. This is the first time I am seeing you being selfish, and thinking about your own happiness more, than about ours, or any other stranger's. I say you earned whatever you wanted from Arceus. We don't need a reward. We have you, and that's more than enough."_ Pikachu spoke, sincerely, from the bottom of his heart.

„ _A trainer with such a big heart, that he saved many of us when others gave up on us. Charizard from death. Bulbasaur from his distrust of humans. Infernape from Paul. Metang from his clumsiness. Even me from my hate of humans. It's about damn time for you to get what you always wanted, without looking at us for what we want. And if you want to know what we want, we want you to be happy again."_ Pikachu said with all of the Pokemon behind him, nodding and huffing in agreement.

Ash lifted his head, so he was looking at his Pokemon. All of them smiling brightly at him, encouraging him to be selfish for once in his life. They shouldn't be OK with this. But somehow, they are. And Ash doesn't know why, failing to realize, that the kindness he showed his Pokemon all this time, is being reciprocated.

„ _Let's meet the man that gave us the best trainer we could have asked for!"_ Pikachu raised his right paw high in the air, for his standards, closed his eyes and shouted from the top of his small lungs. His proclamation was followed by loud roars and cheers from the other Pokemon behind him.

Tears began welling up in Ash's eyes, but he didn't let them fall. He raised his hand and wiped the tears into the sleeve of his coat. „I don't deserve you guys."

„ _Shut up. I don't deserve you. I nearly killed you. Several times."_ Charizard roared from the crowd. And even a tough guy like Charizard had troubles to keep his tears at bay.

„ _I nearly killed him too."_ Infernape sheepishly scratched the back of his head in the crowd.

„ _Can I join your 'Nearly killed Ash' club?"_ Pikachu turned to his friends with a snicker. Upon Pikachu's comment, the crowd began laughing and chuckling. And even Ash joined with a light chuckle, accepting what Pikachu told him. Though, he will not forget this moment. He owes them a lot, and he intends to pay his debt.

„I guess it's decided then," Arceus stated, overlooking the moment between Ash and his Pokemon. Arceus actually intended to deny Ash's request about his dad, because raising a human from the dead requires a lot of his power. And last time he used such power didn't end well for him. But the scolding he received from the orange dragon resonated within him. He deserved whatever he wanted.

Ash, with his Pokemon, turned to Arceus, waiting for him to do his magic. Walking to Ash and his Pokemon, he summoned the 18 crystal plates around him. Every crystal plate has its own unique color with thin white lines shining on the plates. Ash has already seen those plates once.

Ash watched as the plates stopped rotating around Arceus and three of them flew forward. The orange one, the light green one and the light blue one were now creating a new rotating circle. The yellow plate joined the three in front of Arceus shortly after, but he was placed in the center of the rotating plates, creating an electric field around them. Then, a fifth one flew towards them. The purple crystal plate joined the four and as soon as it touched the yellow plate, the rotating plates began shining in white color. The plates merged together and were slowly transformed into an orb of white light.

What emerged was a mystic orb red in the center, slowly transcending into dark green color and eventually to bright yellow at the edges. Bolts of lighting permeated the colors in the orb.

„I believe you know this item." Arceus's formed orb flew to Ash and dropped into Ash's awaiting hands.

„Jewel of Life. Arceus, is this how you plan to bring my dad back?" Ash curiously looked at the orb that held the power of the god.

„It is the only option."

„Don't you need this to be able to watch over the world?" Ash lifted his head and asked the tall llama god.

„Yes. But as I said, if it's within my power, I will grant you your wish." Arceus's omnipotent voice echoing in his throne room, as he stood tall before Ash and his Pokemon.

Palkia and Giratina were both surprised at how easily their father was swayed into such a request, knowing full well how hesitant he is to give his power to anyone after the first intention of helping someone didn't go well. Dialga on the other hand, watched with interest as his visions were becoming reality. Visions of a happy ending. For now at least.

„Thank you, Arceus," Ash said politely, making a small bow before the god Pokemon.

„ _This is how you thank someone. Take notes 'God'"_ Charizard scoffed towards Arceus, resulting in an angry groan from Arceus.

„ _Alright, we have held you up long enough. Put the Jewel of Life where your father's heart is, and he will be raised back from the dead. With memories intact, and looking the same as the day he was killed. Take care, Chosen One."_ Arceus tried to remain calm and finally get this whole meeting over with. Arceus teleported all of the visitors back to the Haven and when that was done, he released a big sigh of relief. Finally that orange dragon is gone. He really considered attacking him. It was unheard of for a low-key Pokemon to talk to Arceus with such disrespect.

„ _Tickled your nerves, didn't he, father?"_ Dialga teasingly asked and approached her father and walked to his side.

„ _You have no idea how much..."_

* * *

Late at night, when the moon is at the highest and darkness fills the world, one man was soaring through the skies on his Charizard, with a yellow mouse on his shoulder, and a glowing orb, in his dark green coat. Flight from the Haven to Viridian City is a long one, so there was a lot of time to think. And he indeed was thinking.

Will his father even recognize him? Probably not. Will he be happy to see him? Possibly. And what is even his father like? He knew him as a kid when he was around 4 years old, and he remembered him as a man who was always kind to him, and to Pokemon. Teaching him the ways on how to connect with them. And he was the man that talked him into being the Pokemon Master. Despite him not knowing, what that title of Pokemon Master means or how to acquire it.

„ _Nervous?"_ Charizard flapped his wings and glanced behind him, at his trainer.

„Yeah. How do you know?" Ash sighed and asked his friend on top of he is flying on with his long black hair flowing in the air.

„ _You are shaking."_ Charizard calmly said, he glanced back again and made a small nod to Ash's trembling hand, with whom he was holding Charizard's back.

„ _You have nothing to be afraid of."_ Pikachu petted Ash's back from his shoulder and tried to calm his best pal.

„Yeah." Ash quietly said. He didn't know what to say. Ash is both, nervous and excited. Seeing his father after all this time, it's a lot to take in. Both Pokemon traveling with him didn't ask him further, knowing full well, he needs time to sort his thoughts.

And it took the whole trip to Viridian City, to sort his thoughts. Seeing the cemetery, Charizard flapped his wings and slowly descended from the night sky, back to the ground, with his tail being the only source of light.

„ _Ash, where to exactly?"_ asked Charizard, trying to sound welcoming and friendly, although this is far from his personality, even a blind Pokemon could see his trainer is in distress and that he doesn't need his hot-headed roars to add to the table.

„Huh?" Ash blinked a few times. „Oh. Ummm... there." Ash snapped out of his thoughts and pointed at the north side of the cemetery. Charizard looked in the direction, flapped his wings and flew towards their destination, not comment on his trainer spacing out again.

The trio descended to the ground of the cemetery. Jumping off the Charizard, Ash, with Pikachu on his shoulder and Charizard by his side, walked around the cemetery. It was a long time ago since he was here, so they were looking for some time for his father's grave. Ash eventually, after minutes of walking between dozens of tombstones with flowers on them, found the tombstone he was looking for.

 _Here lies Richard Ketchum, loving husband, father and former Champion of Kanto region._

And for a champion, the tombstone was very modest. Nothing extravagant with a statue or something like that. Why is that when he was Champion? Well, being a Champion only one week gets forgotten easily. Kings who ruled only for a few weeks are not even mentioned in history books, and this is a similar scenario.

Standing before the grave, Ash gave his two Pokemon a nod, and both of them began digging the place where his father rests. Ash joined them seconds after. „ _Should have brought Infernape for this..."_ Ash was mentally bashing himself for not thinking of it. He left his Pokemon back at the Haven, so he doesn't have to carry dozens of pokeballs with him on the trip. OF course he promised his Pokemon to get back with his father so they could meet him too.

Digging the hole below the tombstone, Charizard's claw scratched a wooden surface. And all three of them knew, they found the coffin. After some more digging around, Charizard pulled the coffin up and placed it on the cemetery grass.

Ash was again lost in thoughts as he was looking at his father's coffin. This is it. „Do it, Charizard." Ash quietly said.

Charizard smirked and with his claws, he grabbed the edges of the simplistic rectangular chestnut-colored coffin. He opened the coffin, revealing yellowish bedding, and a decaying smelly corpse of Ash's father. Though Pikachu and Charizard pinched their noses when they smelled the corpse, Ash stood still, looking at his father. His clothes were worn out nearly decayed too. Blue jeans tattered all over and red jacket with sleeves already missing. Black undershirt underneath, with holes already on it. The color of those clothes faded already.

„ _That smells terrible!"_ both Pokemon thought.

With Charizard's tail illuminating the scene, Ash saw small blood stains near his father's head. The bullet that took his father's life. Ignoring the unpleasant sight at his father and the smell created by the decaying flesh, Ash knelt down and pulled the shining orb out of his cloak.

„Charizard, I need you to make a slash where my father's heart is and open it up so I can place the Jewel of Life in there," Ash said, calmly. Though, he was anything but calm on the inside. He is getting ready to defile the corpse of his father by this. If this will not work, Arceus will have to explain himself to him.

Charizards hand that was not pinching his nose was placed upon Richard's chest. He looked at Ash unsurely. Ash nodded. With one claw, he cut an opening for Ash to reach Richard's heart. Thankfully, there was no blood gushing out. Unfortunately for Charizard, the dirty work did not stop there.

„Charizard, the ribs too," Ash added when he saw the obstacle to his father's heart.

Charizard groaned unpleasantly. Pikachu watched the whole operation from further away, be thankful he doesn't have to do this. Charizard made a quick slash with his claw and cut the ribs.

Now being in the clear, Ash pulled the greenish, yellowish, reddish orb out of his cloak, and looked at the item of immense power on last time. „ _Please, let this work."_ Ash prayed.

And with that, he pressed the Jewel of Life into the place where his father's heart was. Ash with his two Pokemon curiously watched if Ash's father will raise from the dead. And watching the jewel, they saw that it was slowly melting inside Ash's father. The orb melted, creating a pool of green and yellow liquid, with some red in it. The liquid was electrifying the decaying flash. And the electricity from the liquid caused the color to return to the flesh. The life-giving liquid spread through the body, with a small pool staying at his father's heart, pumping it to the rest of the body.

Ash, with his Pokemon, watched in awe as the muscles were strengthened and formed, as eyes were forming again, and as the opening to heart was slowly closing by muscles and skin is formed. Slowly but surely, the reincarnation was completed. Once the decaying body was now a body of a healthy human being. He looked just like he remembered him.

Then his father opened his eyes. His brown eyes shot open, he sat up and he immediately coughed up some blood and the liquid from the jewel of life mixed in it.

„What the hell is this stuff, it tastes like dirt!" he yelled between coughs.

Richard wiped his mouth after he caught up the last remnants of blood from his lungs. After he caught up the stuff, his eyes were swayed to the only source of light in the night, that being Charizard's tail. He immediately smiled upon seeing Charizard. But the smile didn't remain long on his face.

This Charizard is different from his own. He could tell his partner away from any Charizard ever. This one has too large of a tail, and he is slightly smaller than his own. Thus this one is still very big on Charizard standards.

His eyes then looked around more. And he saw a man with Pikachu on his shoulder. Long black beard, long black hair and a dark green cloak. Inspecting the man, he wondered who he was. But then, he spotted his eyes and he needed explanation no longer.

„Well, seems like Aura Guardians found me. What do you want from me?" Richard asked.

The man before him stood still. For several minutes, like he was awestruck. „I want you back home." He said. Voice deep, but it lacked intimidation as his words were shaky.

„Home? I am not going back to a castle just to bow to the so-called Queen." Richard scoffed. Going back to the Kingdom of Rota. Yeah, like that is ever gonna happen. And this guy isn't very convincing, he seemed more afraid than determined to drag him back to his birthplace.

„Not there. In Pallet Town." the man before him added.

„What are you... talking... about." Richard's talking stammered when he saw the tombstones around. A cemetery. He then realized he was sitting in something. And looking down, he knew this was a coffin. And when he looked around more, he saw his OWN tombstone.

Memories began flooding his brain once again. Remembering what happened last time. He was shot in the head by Giovanni. What is happening? How is this even possible?! He should be dead! He WAS DEAD!

„You died. You were dead for more than ten years now, father." The man before him said quietly.

Richard's eyes widened when he heard the last word. Father. He now carefully looked at the man before him. There was no resemblance to him, but that was to be expected. He isn't trained Aura Guardian, and this guy certainly seems like one. But there was no denying that. He looked just like his own father. His own father who was trained in the ways of Aura and who resembled the man before him greatly. The genes are certainly there.

„It's me dad. It's Ash." the man before him shakily said with tears slowly dropping on the grass.

Ash. Was this real? Being dead for ten years, and then waking up to this? His own son, digging his grave and by some miracle resurrecting him? And Ash being an Aura Guardian to top it all of?

„No, no this is not happening. I must be dreaming."

„You have been dreaming for 11 years dad. This is real." The man before him said, barely able to form words.

Richard again examined his supposedly, son. He didn't catch it at first, but there was nasty eye scar across his eye. Other than that, his hairy face looked normal. But then another thing caught his eye. He had no left hand.

Richard slowly raised from the coffin to be face to face with Ash. He grabbed his arm with a missing hand. „What happened to you?" Is this what his son had to go through when he wasn't here? What happened when he was gone?!

Ash looked at his hand and then back at his father. „I finished, what you started. Giovanni is behind bars, dad."

Richard frowned. „He did this to you?!" asked Richard angrily. He can watch past the fact that Giovanni wanted his life. But laying a hand on his family, that's going too far.

„I am alright, dad," Ash reassured his dad with a smile. That smile. That big grin Richard was so familiar with was the last nail in the coffin that was needed for him to believe this is his son. „What happened, Ash? Why am I here?" Richard asked.

Upon hearing his name, Ash hugged his dad like his life depended on it. Tightly he hold his father, fearing he would disappear in a moment he would let go. Richard only hugged Ash back with a smile on his face. He must have missed a lot of things. "You are back…" Ash mumbled into his father's torn jacket and shirt.

"It seems so." Richard answered, still not knowing if this is real. Holding his son, he realized they are both equally tall. " _He really is an exact copy of me. Or was at least..."_

Ash with tears rolling down his cheeks eventually broke the hug. „Dad, I will tell you everything.." And then, Ash told his father everything. They sat under a tree at the cemetery, with Charizard and Pikachu admiring the family reunion, as Ash began his story. Richard, knowing he needs to know as much as possible on what happened during those eleven years, haven't protested.

Father and son were sitting on the cemetery for hours, as Ash narrated his journey from the day he lost his father, till now. The father was listening to his son stories till the morning when the sun was rising up and the tale of a hero from the frozen mountain came to an end.

* * *

 **Author's note: Finally after so many cliffhangers I wrote some conclusion. There will be one more chapter, and it there will be a time skip of three months, where Ash and Richard will come back home. And that will be the last chapter of this story. I estimate it is around 6k words. This was a shorter chapter, but I hope you still liked it since I focused on Ash and his father.**

 **Then, you will have to wait for a sequel. I don't know when I will start writing it since I will be focusing on my Goblin Slayer story for a while. More detail will come in the next chapter.**

 **That's all from me. Faptime's out.**

 **Ash's Pokemon in The Haven and their moveset:**

 **Pikachu (Male) – Thunder, Quick Attack, Iron Tail, Volt Tackle**

 **Luxray (Female) – Thunder Fang, Crunch, Volt Switch, Wild Charge**

 **Bulbasaur (Male) – Vine Whip, Razor Leaf, Leech Seed, Solar Beam**

 **Meganium (Female) – Grassy Terrain, Magical Leaf, Vine Whip, Petal Dance**

 **Sceptile (Male) – Leaf Storm, Solar Beam, Leaf Blade, Double Team**

 **Torterra (Male) – Leaf Storm, Energy Ball, Rock Climb, Synthesis**

 **Feraligatr (Male) – Ice Fang, Crunch, Slash, Bulldoze**

 **Crawdaunt (Male) – Bubble Beam, Knock Off, Vice Grip, Harden**

 **Kingler (Male) – Water Gun, Metal Claw, Crabhammer, Hyper Beam**

 **Floatzel (Male) - Aqua Jet, Hydro Pump, Sonic Boom, Ice Punch**

 **Milotic (Female) – Aqua Tail, Water Pulse, Scald, Twister,**

 **Torkoal (Male) - Heat Wave, Overheat, Iron Defense. Rock Slide**

 **Typhlosion (Female) – Flamethrower, Eruption, Aerial Ace, Swift**

 **Infernape (Male) – Overheat, Flare Blitz, Mach Punch, Dig**

 **Charizard (Male) – Flamethrower, Dragon Rage, Dragon Tail, Seismic Toss**

 **Noctowl (Male) – Confusion, Sky Attack, Air Slash, Extrasensory**

 **Swellow (Male) – U-Turn, Roost, Aerial Ace, Double Team**

 **Staraptor (Male) – Quick Attack, Wing Attack, Brave Bird, Close Combat**

 **Tauros x30 (Males) – Fissure, Take Down, Horn Attack, Zen Headbutt**

 **Snorlax (Male) – Ice Punch, Rest, Hyper Beam, Body Slam**

 **Donphan (Male) – Rollout, Earthquake, Take Down, Hyper Beam**

 **Gliscor (Male) – X-Scissor, Fire Fang, Giga Impact, Stone Edge**

 **Heracross (Male) – Megahorn, Sleep Talk, Focus Punch, Hyper Beam**

 **Muk (Male) – Sludge Bomb, Body Slam, Mud Bomb, Acid Spray**

 **Toxicroak (Male) – Sludge Wave, Poison Jab, Sucker Punch, Low Sweep**

 **Glalie (Male) – Ice Beam, Shadow Ball, Protect, Crunch**

 **Garchomp (Male) – Dig, Slash, Dragon Rush, Draco Meteor**

 **Sableye (Male) – Shadow Ball, Power Gem, Will-O-Wisp, Detect**

 **Lucario (Male) – Aura Sphere, Blaze Kick, Bone Rush, Force Palm**

 **Metagross (Genderless) - Meteor Mash, Gyro Ball, Psychic, Flash Cannon**

 **Aggron (Male) – Metal Claw, Metal Sound, Iron Head, Thunderbolt**

 **Weavile (Female) – Night Slash, Metal Claw, Hidden Power, Blizzard**

 **Absol (Female) – Night Slash, Razor Wind, Attract, Fire Blast**

 **Tyranitar (Female) – Stone Edge, Earthquake, Dark Pulse, Dragon Claw**

 **Gardevoir (Female) – Teleport, Light Screen, Calm Mind, Heal Pulse**

 **Mewtwo (Male) – Psystrike, Psychic, Dream Eater, Hypnosis**

 **That's it for now.**

 **Reviews are appreciated.**


	29. Epilogue III: Home

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Pokemon or any of these characters.**

 **Author's note: And here we have it. The final chapter of this fic. Finally! Phew, it took a long time, but my first fanfic is completed! Enjoy the last chapter of The Hero from the frozen mountain.**

 **SHOUT-OUT TO YoungsterAustin. I AM GRATEFUL THAT HE TOOK HIS TIME WITH THIS CHAPTER AND RAN THROUGH IT. THANK YOU!**

"classic conversation"

" _thoughts/telepathy/link"_

 **That is all for now. Enjoy.**

* * *

 **XXIV. Epilogue: Home**

Brock's heart threatened to beat out of his chest. He could swear it beats his ribs from the inside with how fast it's beating. He estimates his heart is beating around 130 beats per minutes. And being the doctor he is, he knows very well this is not a healthy heart rate.

Right now, Lucy is in front of him, sitting on the hospital bed, and she is getting ready to take her shirt off. She blushed hard when Brock managed to say it to her so he could check her heart rate. It's not the first time he is doing this, but usually, the ill people who show up in his office are elderly. Having this exotic girl right in front of him, knowing she has a thing for him, it is very hard to control.

„You can keep your bra on," Brock added out of nowhere.

„I don't wear one." Blushing Lucy said.

„ _Are you kidding me?!"_ Brock's ears released large steam as his face turned even redder. What the fuck should he do now?!

„W-well. I guess... you will have to be bare." Brock gulped loudly before he said the only solution to the situation.

In one swift movement, Lucy pulled her shirt over her head, and she revealed her firm chest to Brock. It happened so fast, that Brock dozed off when he saw her breast right in front of his face. They are just enough to be cupped in hands with perky pink nipples. Arceus she is perfect all around. Lucy suddenly covered her breast, which brought Brock back to reality.

And he immediately panicked. „I am sorry! I- I didn't mean to stare! It's just... You stripped really fast that I... I am sorry." Brock frantically waved his hands in front of him.

Lucy, however, was very pleased with the reaction. Exactly the reason why she went braless today. Well, he seems to like them, so that's a step in a good direction. Though he didn't do anything like him when she entered his office. No confession, no crazy flower giving just a polite greeting.

„It's alright." said blushing Lucy. She did some rather bold photoshoots for charity so she isn't really embarrassed about her body. But if her crush looks at her like this, it does bring some more blood to her cheeks.

The next few minutes were very awkward. Brock was afraid to even touch her, which for a doctor, is kinda problematic. With trembling hands, he put the stethoscope slightly above her left breast and checked her heart rate. The fact she was more beautiful naked caused his pants to tighten. She even moaned when the steel cold stethoscope touched her skin. Rather erotically. Brock shut his eyes, trying to somehow calm down. „ _Don't get an erection. Don't get an erection. It's an old lady with saggy tits in front of you. An old wrinkled lady that needs your help. It's not a beautiful pale-skinned beauty with red eyes and perfectly round breast. And a flat stomach... COME ON! BRAIN, I NEED YOU TAKE THE CONTROL FROM THAT DICK IN MY PANTS! LITERALLY! Think about an old lady. Old lady... Old lady... Old lady..."_

And it didn't work. Brain refused to function. Knowing that she can take notice of this, he quickly checked her breathing with a stethoscope and ordered her to put a shirt back on. He only hoped she didn't notice the slight bulge in his pants. He nearly forgot to really check her heart rate, as he was focusing to not get more aroused by the situation.

„That was... very fast," Lucy said, still sitting on the hospital bed with her top off. Brock was now looking away from her.

„Well, you seem healthy to me. And your heart rate and breathing confirm it. There was no need to prolong this." Brock found some quick reasoning. His voice thankfully lacked any stuttering, so he came out like he was unfazed by her naked figure. Well, to a certain extent since he dozed off when she took her shirt off.

It bugged Brock. When they acted like this was perfectly normal. He already checked the Seviper, and he was fine. Now Lucy, and they still acted like they don't know each other. And since he already checked her, she will leave soon. If he wants to act, he has to do it now.

„Lucy, why did you come here?" Brock asked when he sat back to his chair to write a record. Thanks to his studies, he can control his emotions very well, so the question came off as a curious doctor asked why would someone go so far for this check up. Even though Brock's intention behind the question are very different.

Lucy pulled her shirt back on and sighed. „I am afraid the truth may scare you," she said.

Brock had to chuckle. „That's the first time patient tells this to me and not the other way around." Brock put the new Lucy papers in her file and looked at her. And seeing that she had a dead serious face he asked. „I would prefer if I would have known the truth."

„I wanted to see you."

„ _Oh, Arceus. It's happening. IT'S HAPPENING! CALM DOWN, BROCK! CALM DOWN!_ " Brock's thoughts raged.

„Oh. I am glad to see you too, Lucy." Brock said, and for the first time, he dropped his formal doctor tone, showing his emotions. Okay, he is nearly there. Just don't fuck it up. It all points to the fact Delia was right. Just don't do anything stupid.

„You were on my mind for a very long time," Lucy said as she walked to Brock's table, sitting across the table from him, crossing her legs. And Brock had a hard time to not look at Lucy's chest where 2 small pointy nubs showed through the shirt. He should have put the heating on. This is not helping at all.

„Oh. Is that so?" asked Brock, now the nervousness was clearly showing. What the fuck is he doing? She is basically telling him to finally go for it! „ _You have a green light! For what am I waiting for?!"_ Brock's brain got into turmoil. This is the first time a girl is showing an interest in him, so why did he froze?!

„I didn't know why, in the beginning. But I know now." Lucy again confessed. Lucy herself wanted Brock to finally do his usual thing. It's kinda silly, but even when he would drop on his knees and proposed right here and right now, she would say yes without hesitation. It would be very funny to see Brock's reaction to that. Why it is so hard to force that confession out of him?! Wait... does he... does he have someone already? Is she too late?

„ _Come on Brock! She is basically saying she is into you! You have the tickets right inside your pocket! Ask her out. It isn't that hard. You did this thousands of times expecting the rejection. Breathe in an go for it."_ Brock's mind panicked. And then he finally breathed in and let it out.

„O-oh. Alright. Okay. Hmm... well. Do you want to go somewhere to talk about it? I have these two tickets for Sensesational Sisters performance and I have one spare ticket. Do you want to go?" Brock finally managed to stutter out.

Asking a patient out is a big nono for doctors. But hey, she isn't technically his patient yet. This is her first check up here after all. If he changes dates in her records, the problem is gone.

Lucy's lips formed a big relieved smile on her face. She began worrying that her hints weren't really clear. She hoped that when Brock always asks girls out, he can take a hint. And it seemed like he indeed did. Though she still doesn't know if he is single. But she can ask that later, she doesn't want to be too on the nose here.

„Gladly! I always wanted to see them! They are labeled as one of the best swimmers in the Kanto region!" Lucy excitedly replied. And at that time, both of their hearts dropped this boulder from them.

* * *

A calm evening loomed over the Mount Coronet. Both Ash and Richard got here a while ago. Not much happened since they got here. Ash let his Gardevoir and Lucario teleport to Mewtwo's room at the hospital to keep an eye on him so he wouldn't be alone when if he wakes up. Even though he doubts it. It will take some time for Mewtwo to wake up from such a battle.

Right now, many of Ash's Pokemon are already sleeping in their rooms. And Ash is still up with his father, at a campfire, eating a salad. Quietly. Ash wondered about what person his father is. The black haired Aura Guardian told his father his whole story on the cemetery. But his father didn't utter a word. He just listened, with a saddened expression on his face. He knows that he feels regret thanks to Ash's aura powers. But regret of what? That is a mystery to him.

„Dad, did I do something wrong when I brought you back?" the question that was on Ash's mind for a while was finally voiced.

Richard lifted his head from the food. „No, Ash. No. I am very glad that I get to see you and Delia again. It's just. I now realize what I missed when I went to Pokemon Rangers. Missed you growing up into such a spectacular man that I couldn't be more proud of. Knowing that I let the burden of being a parent only on Delia I feel bad because of that. I always thought that I was doing the right thing when I tried to help people by being a ranger. Now, I am not so sure." Richard told Ash.

Yeah, Ash knows very well what Richard is talking about. The decision to help other people at the expense of hurting your loved ones. Seems like that theme is in their family.

„I know what you are talking about." Ash quietly said looking at the burning campfire before them.

„So. I heard your incredible tale, now tell me what you want to hear from me." Richard lifted his head from the salad and smiled slightly on Ash.

So many questions he has. What it was like to grow in the Kingdom of Rota. Why was he Champion only for a few weeks? Why hasn't he trained to be an Aura Guardian? Why did he leave them? What it feels like to be dead? Is there something after death? And many many more. But there is this one that bothers him from the time he started his journey and he decided to start with that.

„What does being a Pokemon Master mean?"

Everybody wants to be one, yet, no one knows how to acquire that title. No championship, no tournament ever gave that title away. And it was his dad who told him he will one day become one. So what does it take to become one?

„I don't know." Richard replied in a quiet cave where the only other sounds are the burning of dry wood.

„Huh?"

„Ash, being a Pokemon Master isn't something you acquire with one win. Or maybe you can. There wasn't a Pokemon Master before, so it's hard to tell. It's a title that hangs in the air and waits to be given to someone. You can't decide that you will be a Pokemon Master by winning some tournament. The people around you will decide who will become one. It's the hardest title to acquire, because of every man's view on the title differs. And to me, it's someone who lives in both worlds and understands the world of Pokemon better than our world. I personally think that Pokemon Master is someone who will become one with Pokemon, and can understand them all on the emotional level others can't even comprehend." Richard explained.

„And you think I will become one?" Ash asked and Richard chuckled.

„The one and only. I am sure of that. I can sense it in my veins. You are very close. You, my son, will be the very best like no one ever was." Richard said with a big smile on his face.

A pregnant silence followed and the two were again quietly eating their food opposite of each other at the campfire. Richard waited for Ash to mention her, but he didn't really talk about her much. And he didn't know how she is doing right now, so when he couldn't take it anymore, he asked.

„Ash, how's mom?"

To Richard's displeasure, Ash sighed sadly. „To be honest? I think last month was the worst time of her life. I was the only one she had left when you died. Then I was proclaimed dead. And then even Cynthia. And from what I know, Cynthia was like an adoptive daughter to mom. I only hope she will forgive us when we will get back. I want to be home as soon as possible." Ash's voice dropped low talking about his mother.

And Richard could only agree. He wants to get back to his wife as soon as possible. Especially when he knows what Aura Guardian's wives go through when their loved one dies.

* * *

 _3 months later_

„ **AND THE AURA GUARDIAN STRIKES AGAIN! PEOPLE ARE REPORTING HIS SIGHTINGS NEAR TWINLEAF TOWN IN SINNOH REGION, CARRYING MORE REMAINING MEMBERS OF TEAM ROCKET! SINCE MR. GOODSNOW'S DECLARATION THAT THE LEAGUE IS WORKING WITH THE AURA GUARDIAN TO PUT THE CRIMINAL ORGANIZATION THAT KILLED MORE THAN 100 PEOPLE FOR THEIR GRUESOME EXPERIMENTS BEHIND BARS, THE AURA GUARDIAN WAS SEEN 17 TIMES DOING HIS WORK. THE STREETS ARE FINALLY FILLING WITH PEOPLE, AND IT SEEMS THE PRESENCE OF AN AURA GUARDIAN HELPS TO CALM THE PUBLIC AFTER THE REPORTS OF WHAT TEAM ROCKET DID. SEEING JUST HOW POWERFUL HE IS ON THE DOZEN OF VIDEOS THAT WERE TAKEN IN PALLET TOWN, WE BELIEVE THAT HIS BATTLE WILL BE OVER SOON. HE HAS AVOIDED ANY CONTACT SO FAR, AND HE WAS SEEN IN A COMPANY OF ANOTHER MYSTERIOUS MAN. THE MYSTERY OF THE AURA GUARDIAN IS STILL HANGING IN THE AIR AND NOBODY KNOWS ANYTHING ABOUT HIM, EXCEPT THE KANTO CHAMPION WHO SPENT AN ENTIRE MONTHS IN HIS HIDEOUT, AND LADY SHIRONA REFUSES TO GIVE ANY INFORMATION ON HIM. CLAIMING THAT THE ONLY THING WE NEED, IS TO KNOW HE IS OUT THERE, AND TRUST HIM. AND I HAVE TO GIVE IT TO HER, HE INDEED IS DOING WHAT WE KNOW AURA GUARDIANS DO FROM FAIRY TAILS. PROTECT THE WORLD. That's..."** Television in the living room of Ketchum household was playing the news. Though the person in the household didn't really pay attention to the television.

Christmas came and Delia was decorating her house for the occasion. She just hanged a misleltoe on the chandelier in the kitchen. The weather outside was calm, not snowing, but there was a large layer of snow already. The Oaks, Cynthia, and Brock are coming for dinner and to spend time with her. She is very glad that they are coming. They are like a family she lost. Although they feel like a family, the void created by Ash's passing and Richard's passing was never filled.

At least others are happy. Daisy, Gary, and professor have everything they need, that being their laboratory and a ton of Pokemon to research. Tracey is of course always happy to sketch a few Pokemon and examine their behavior, so the life at the lab is a pretty joyous one.

Cynthia... Aw, how happy she was when it was reported she is back. She threw a party for her and invited Cynthia's friends and even Carolina. And even when everyone wanted to get something about the Aura Guardian from her, she was quiet, saying it's a surprise.

The Ice Queen of Sinnoh began acting a little weird since the time she got back. There were times when she was perfectly normal. And then there were the other times where she was just out of her ordinary behavior. Red in cheeks, blushing constantly, rubbing her legs together and more. When this time came, she usually stayed home, not bothering to visit Delia at all.

Delia eventually found out why Cynthia acted like this. When she reached for sugar on the top shelf in a kitchen, as they were baking a chocolate cake, she noticed a mark on her abdomen. Very familiar dark blue mark. Piecing it together with the fact she spent time with an Aura Guardian and she knew that the blonde champion fell in love.

She already knows perfectly how he looks like from the interrogation that took place after she found out. And she had to laugh at the fact that he separated with her for so long, and left her with just a kiss. She knows very well how frustrating it was when Richard was elsewhere. And knowing she got just a taste of what the love life with an Aura Guardian involves, the sexual frustration must be off the charts for Cynthia. She is sure that as soon as her lover shows up, she will ride him there and there and nothing will stop her. She just hopes he shows up to her in private, she doesn't need to see that. If Cynthia has a similar drive as Delia had for Richard, then it can get very... wild.

Then there were the last guests, Brock, and his new fiance, Lucy. Yeah, fiance. Not even a week after the time Lucy visited Brock at the doctor's office and Brock was already on his knees with a bouquet of flowers and a ring in his hands. It didn't surprise Delia, Brock was... Brock. She wouldn't be surprised if Lucy already carried his baby. When it comes to love, Brock works faster than lightning.

However, Brock and Lucy will stay only for a moment. They are expected in their home for a big family dinner with Lucy's sister joining in. She is very glad that everything is working out for the young doctor. Delia was slightly worried for Lucy, fearing Lucy doesn't know what she gets herself into when dating with Brock. Judging by the fact she said yes to his early proposal, it pointed to the fact she is more than ready to accept Brock's over the top affection and a very fast pace in their romantic relationship. Lucky for Brock.

Cynthia and her Aura Guardian. Lucy and Brock. Having so many love couples around, she wonders what it would be like to have Richard here. Or at elast Ash.

„ _And I think about them again... It really is a curse."_ Delia sighed as she hanged a mistletoe under the chandelier in the living room. She lightly rubbed her side of the abdomen. The side where her faded mark is.

She looked into the corner of the living room where Mimey was decorating the Christmas tree with a big smile on his face. She smiled. At least she has him here.

It was very early in the morning, she woke up not even twenty minutes ago as it was still dark outside and most people were already sleeping. The widow still felt a little sleepy. So imagine her shock when she spotted two men under her kitchen window, looking at the tombstones of Ash and Richard. There was a Pokemon beside them. She guessed it was Charizard, but she is never sure with Pokemon. Seeing them through the passage into the kitchen, she climbed off the small ladder and went into the kitchen. However, before she could reach the kitchen, the two men slammed their hands into the tombstones, sending the stones flying, and some even hitting the window. They destroyed the tombstones. Her eyes widened as she gasped.

Furious at those disrespectful people, she stormed outside of her house and went to the back of her house to give those guys a beating they deserve. She didn't even care that she wore her usual pink shirt and blue skirt and that it will be freezing out there. Storming from her doors, she was behind her house in a second. And as soon as she saw them she immediately began screaming.

„WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU ARE DOING?! HOW DARE YOU?! DO YOU UNDERSTAND WHOSE THOSE TOMBSTONES WERE?!" she walked up to them with fury in her voice and steps.

Charizard's tail lightens the two men in front of her, standing in snow, and slowly turning around. Both men wore dark green cloaks. Suddenly from one of the cloaks, Pikachu popped out with a big smile on his face. The Pikachu immediately jumped at Delia's shoulder and nuzzled her cheeks with a cute ‚chaaaaaa'. Delia looked at the Pikachu.

„W-what?!" she exhaled not knowing what to make of this. He was friendly despite the fact she was clearly angry at the two figures. Then her attention shifted toward the two figures staying in the snow, with destroyed tombstones behind them.

„You will catch a cold, darling." The first man said in a voice she nearly forgot after so many years. He slowly approached the frozen Delia, took off his cloak, and wrapped it around Delia.

Messy black hair. Tanned skin. Brown eyes. And a voice that always sent butterflies to her stomach. „No..." she weakly said.

Then she spotted the other man taking his hood off. Revealing long black hair, black beard, and blue eyes. „We are home, mom." The other man said weakly.

„Not again..." Delia weakly managed to say. For Ash and Richard, it looked like she is about to break at any moment. This is not how they imagined their reunion. It feels... foreign.

Delia then began sobbing. Richard who put his cloak around her, hugged her tightly, not knowing what is happening right now. He hoped for the response „I am so glad to see you." Or „You are alive!", not the „Not again" response. Delia began crying uncontrollably on Richard's chest as Ash walked to his mother and father. Both men did not know what was going in Delia's head. Even Ash's Aura senses were confused. A plethora of emotions such as appreciation, happiness, sadness, and helplessness are present. You shouldn't be happy and sad at the same time, but both emotions were felt strongly and equally.

„Arceus please, don't do this to me again." Delia desperately spoke, with tears in her eyes, heartbroken.

„Please... I don't even remember how my own son looks like now." Delia sobbed into Richard's cloak, soaking it with her tears, dripping his cloak tightly, with a grip as he could disappear in any moment.

Ash sadly watched as his father petted Delia's head trying to soothe Delia, as he kept repeating they are back. That it's them. And that they are not going anywhere. Only thing Ash could do, was put his hand on Delia's shoulder, the only place which wasn't embraced by his father's bear hug.

„Not again. Arceus, I beg of you, don't take them away again. Please, let this dream last. Let me dream of them forever. Please..." Delia's legs could no longer support her, and she dragged Richard onto the snow, both kneeling in the snow, as Richard sadly watched his wife cry her heart out. Even Pikachu on Delia's shoulder tried to wipe her tears away, but even when he tried, more and more of them came.

Ash's head fell low and his eyes closed when he realized why this is all happening. How many times did she dream about them, only to wake up alone at home, knowing they were both gone?

Both Richard and Ash released a few tears themselves. Just how much she suffered?

„Delia, we are real. Do you feel this hug? It's a real hug, we are back. We returned home. To you." Richard rubbed his hands against Delia's back, trying to reassure her this is very real. But the response was a small scream between her sobs.

„That's what you always say." Delia mumbled. „Please. Please. Please, not again. I don't want to wake up without them in your world Arceus, have mercy and let me be with them forever. I will do anything." Delia's sobbing and tears were still flowing. Ash and Richard thought that there can't be more water in her body, but somehow, more tears flowed.

Richard and Ash both were at loss on what do do. They both were crying themselves and sadly looked at each other. What can they do? Nothing they will say will make Delia believe this is real. Even when she can feel Richard embracing her, and as she is holding him tightly as he should disperse in any second. So they waited. They let Delia mumble, begging Arceus to let her dream of this moment forever. The torture of watching his mom cry was far worse than being locked with Domino in that godforsaken room. They had to watch until Delia's weak state reached its peak and she fell asleep in Richard's arms.

Ash gave his mom a kiss on her forehead and Richard began carrying her back into the house.

„We are back mom. Hopefully, when you wake up, you will believe us." Ash said and the two men slowly made their way into the house, hoping that the next time Delia sees them, the outcome will be different.

* * *

Richard looked around the room, looking for changes. Yet, everything looked the same. The whole house in fact. Even the photos of them were placed on the same spots. He grabbed the photo of him, Delia and Ash on the dresser. There wasn't a sign of dust on them, but he could swear this photo was lying on the dresser for more than 10 years on the same spot.

The corners of his mouth went slightly upwards when he looked at the photo. How happy they were when he was in Pallet Town. He should have stayed. He wanted to stay. But, there was this need to help others inside of him. He knew that's because of the lineage he has. Even though he left the order, in his heart he knew that he had to continue to help others in another form. It's not the first time this is happening. Being torn between your own family and protecting the families of others. Knowing you have the power to preserve what you have with your own family, was what pushed him towards the Pokemon Rangers.

He now knows, being a fighter for justice isn't for him. He did his part, and nobody can say he didn't. He gave his life in that profession.

Richard put the photo of them back and looked at the wardrobe behind him. Since everything is still in place, he has a bad feeling that he will find the wardrobe in the same state. He opened the wardrobe and looked through Delia's clothes. And eventually, after a few dresses on coat hangers were pushed aside, he found his own.

His own old tuxedo. The only tuxedo he ever owned. Yeah, he was not the most fashionable person and didn't like them very much either. How old is that black suit and trousers even? He got married in this thing! Fifteen? Sixteen years? Yet, even when it is so old, the suit looks great. He pulled it out and looked at it carefully. Clean. Again. It was like he never left this world. „ _Delia, why did you keep all of it when it hurts you so much?"_

He turned towards the bed where Delia was lying. He cursed himself for doing so much harm to her. He should never have fallen in love with her, to begin with. After all, he ran away from the kingdom so he wouldn't have to live with a broken heart like his brothers. He shook his head. That's in the past now. Now, he has to make things right.

Richard let Delia sleep and he moved to Ash's room. It was right next to them, so when he gently closed the door, he was right next to Ash's room.

And Ash let the door opened. He walked in, and as with their bedroom, everything was cleaned up. Ash himself was lying on his bed with hands behind his head looking at the ceiling. The bed is very small for the man like him, his legs hanging out from the ends. Not a boy, a man, Richhrd corrected himself. After the stories he heard, there was no way he was still a boy. He may be just sixteen, but he was forced to grow into a man much earlier than even that.

„She cleaned your room too, didn't she?"

„Yeah. Clothes, new sheets, cleaned trophies, all of it is here, prepared for me like I should come back tomorrow." Ash sadly sad looking at the ceiling.

„Her mind probably couldn't process we were gone completely. She never had any hobbies or goals other than having a baby, be a mother and have a husband. A silly goal for some, but for an orphan, it is the only thing that matters. Having a big family where everyone can laugh and be happy. Destroying that dream is one of the many regrets I have. She deserves better." Richard walked to the shelves in the room, looking at the trophies of Ash in his room. So many memorable moments are held inside those. And he missed them all...

„What do you mean by destroying that dream?" Ash asked as he raised up with a raised eyebrow.

„Ash, mom can't have more children. When she was young, your mom was very slim and she has very small hips. That resulted in very troublesome childbirth, that nearly killed not only you but her too. Her dream of a big family was shattered that day, and it is because of me." Richard walked to Ash's bed, with a saddened face.

So he nearly killed his own mom. Great. He just has to make her suffer, didn't he? „So that's why I never had a sibling..." Ash mumbled quietly. It made sense now. Everyone always in Pallet Town was surprised that Delia had only one child, despite the fact that everyone knew that she dreamed of having a couple more.

„Yes. I am sorry, Ash." Richard said and sat beside Ash.

„Well, you said mom always wanted children. So it would probably happen regardless. It's not your fault." Ash said.

„She wanted kids, but she didn't expect them to be with an Aura Guardian."

„There's a difference?"

„A big one. Ash, you have to understand you are not completely human. Simply put, Aura infused reproduction systems work differently. Instead of 9-month long pregnancy, your mom was pregnant for 11 months. It takes time to make a human being like Psychics and Aura Guardians. And it takes a lot of effort and pain to bring an Aura Guardian to this world, especially when you have a small build that mom has. Add it all together and you have a recipe for disaster." Richard spoke quietly.

Ash could only look down sadly. Gosh, his mom didn't have it easy. And he didn't help her in that regard at all. When Gary bullied him and when he saw him and Daisy happy together as brother and sister, he asked several times if he can have a brother or sister too. He didn't understand why it made her sad, but now, he finally does.

„She always wanted to give you a sibling. It pained her so much, seeing everyone around with siblings, and you all alone. I even asked her if she wouldn't want to adopt someone, but she feared that she wouldn't love the other child as she would have loved her own. This should help you understand why she was always worried about us and is overprotective. We were the only thing that was left from her dream of having big family dinners at holidays."

Ash took a deep breath, looked at his father and said. „Well, it's Christmas. Let's do our utmost best to give her a big family dinner."

Richard's lips formed a faint smile. „Yeah."

Then silence filled the room. Ash scanned the room more with his eyes. And it brought a small smile to his face. „It's great to be home." He quietly spoke.

„Couldn't agree more. The cave was pretty boring." Richard said.

„Finally a nice bed. I can't wait to sleep in my own bed again." Ash gently squeezed the mattress on which he and Richard were sitting. Damn, such softness.

„Isn't it too small for you? And I thought you would crash at Cynthia's place," Richard said. There wasn't even some ulterior motive behind it. Or... maybe there was. But that is beside a point. Watching Ash squirming in his sleep from nightmares was another painful memory and regret he had. If he had stopped Giovanni before, none of this would have happened. He should have stopped him.

„Are you crazy?! After what you said to me about Aura Guardians and this mark, I can not be left alone with her in the same room. And especially not in bed!" Ash exclaimed.

„Hey, it's your own fault. You teased her so much and then left her hanging for three months. What did you think was going to happen?" Richard asked in a teasing tone.

„I don't know! Maybe something along the lines that she will wait for me kind of like wives of soldiers waits for their husbands from war and a normal welcome back. Not the fact she rapes me as soon as she sees me!" Ash yelled out.

„Rape is such an ugly word to describe what she would have done... I guess I have to teach you a thing or two about this kind of stuff." Richard sighed. He was thirteen when he left for his mission so it's understandable he doesn't know much about sex and stuff that comes with it. Seems like they will have to have the talk. And it will have to be very soon, especially when his girlfriend will be literally hunting his cock as soon as her eyes catch him.

Richard quickly shook his head. Better not think about it too much now.

„Yeah, that would be actually welcomed." Ash sighed.

„ _You have a visitor, Ash."_ A voice from the doorstep said. Pikachu appeared there with Mr. Mime who was smiling ever since they came here.

„Me? Nobody should know we are here!" surprised Ash raised from the bed and went to Pikachu at the doorstep. Richard joined Ash and the two were now in front of the yellow rodent.

„ _I don't think she knows. I guess your blonde mate heads this way to help your mom with decorations for Christmas. She has a box full of Christmas lights with her."_ Pikachu announced with a smirk and as soon as he finished his sentence. A doorbell rang.

Ash gulped loudly. „Is there any chance we can go back to the Haven?" blue-eyed trainer with a horror in his voice, to which Richard chuckled.

„Come on. I can't wait to meet her. You said she is a real beauty and intelligent girl so I am intrigued. And I am sure you too want to meet her again." Richard smiled. Though he didn't blame Ash. Both of them know that women can be very, VERY scary.

„I do, but I am scared. You said she will be more ferocious. And I am not ready for that. She was always bashful around me, and so... teasable. Now? What do I do? Run when she gets too... excited?" Ash paused at the last word. Gosh dammit, this mark destroys his whole control over this relationship. What can he do against Cynthia if what his dad told him is true? Maybe tie her up? That worked before, so maybe she would calm down when he would do that... Sounds reasonable. Worst case scenario, he will run. Yeah, he has plan A and B if plan A would go south. Control restored.

„My advice is to succumb to it. Trust me it is much easier that way. We tried to resist when the mark appeared, but it didn't last long. It's pretty pointless if you ask me." Richard put a hand on Ash's shoulder.

„You are not helping dad." Ash sighed. Then a doorbell rang again. Ash turned back towards the doorstep to his room, only to find Pikachu there. Without Mr. Mime.

„Where is Mimey?" And as to answer his question, his slightly enhanced hearing heard the door opened downstairs.

„ _This is gonna be good..."_ Pikachu thought with a twisted scowl and curled lip.

Pikachu jumped onto Richard's shoulder, and Richard had to push his scared son out of the doorway. He himself kinda looked forward to this. Richard, like Ash, is a very curious man. And seeing that he gave Cynthia only a taste of love when they last saw, this should be very interesting. Of course, he knew how... passionate his own wife could be when he came to visit home in his breaks from his job with Pokemon Rangers. Every month he came. And boy did it get wild then. He can only imagine what Cynthia will do after 3 months. He didn't even see any records of this when he was learning about these things in Rota.

„Dad, you will pull her off me if things go downhill, right?" Ash reluctantly went with his dad to the stairs that lead downstairs, to the kitchen and living room

To Ash's horror, Richard only released a weird and uncertain chuckle. As soon as Ash heard the chuckle, he immediately tried to get back into his room. But it was too late. Ash was already at the staircase downstairs, and Cynthia already caught a glimpse of him. „ _Let's hope dad exaggerated this phenomenon a little bit."_ Ash thought.

Today, Cynthia wore her former Champion attire. Winter came, so warmer clothes were needed, and her black coat with black fur around her neck is just an outfit she needs. The only difference in her attire is a red and white Christmas hat on her head.

And as soon as she saw Ash standing there, the box with Christmas lights was dropped to the floor.

„Hi, Cynthia." Ash said with a weird chuckle.

Before Ash could say anything else Cynthia was already upstairs and tackled him to the wooden floor, near the staircase. Lying on top of him, she didn't waste any time, she grabbed the sides of his head with her palms and pressed her lips on his.

Ash could swear he didn't even see Cynthia ran upstairs. She appeared in front of him. And before he knew it, his mouth was invaded by Cynthia's tongue, surprising him even more. „ _Where is that bashful girl from before?!"_ Ash yelled inwardly.

Ash tried to gently pull her off him, but she was holding his head with a firm grip, and her lips refused to part. There was this part of him that very much enjoyed this, but his brain kept telling him to cut this off before even he loses control.

Cynthia eventually pulled back slightly, just so their noses touched. „Finally. Gosh, you have no idea how I missed you." She said in a sultry tone he didn't hear her say before. She pecked his lips and leaned towards his ear and whispered. „You have _no_ idea what I am intending to do to you for the stunt you pulled on me." And the seductiveness in her voice raised to new lengths when she sweetly whispered this into his ear.

Cynthia pulled back, sat on Ash's lap and began unbuttoning her black coat, with a coy smile, licking her pink lips.

For a second, Ash came back to his senses when he heard Pikachu's unintentional laugh from behind them.

„WAIT! My father and Pikachu are here!" Ash quickly reasoned and tried to stop Cynthia from undressing right in front of them.

Cynthia lifted her head slightly and looked at Richard. „Ou. Mr. Ketchum. Nice to see you. Soo... Do you want to watch how I will make a man out of your son, Mr. Ketchum? I don't mind, but please, don't interrupt us. I waited far too long for this."

Ash's eyes widened to the extent that they barely stayed in his head. „CYNTHIA!" He yelled out. This is bad. Very bad. Wasn't she shy about being seen naked before?! WHAT THE HELL IS HAPPENING IN HER BRAIN?! Isn't there anything that can stop her? Cynthia knows his father was dead, and she didn't even pay attention to it! If not even a literal resurrection can stop her and ask questions instead of jumping at him, then what can?!

Lying on his back, Ash with Cynthia on his lap tilted his head slightly upwards so he could see his dad upside down. And to add horror to the situation, his dad was heading back to Delia's bedroom.

„DAD! YOU CAN'T LEAVE ME HERE LIKE THIS!"

Richard again only chuckled. „I can, and I will. I am not stupid enough to stand between a woman in heat and her lustful desires for her man. Enjoy you two." And with that, Richard disappeared into Delia's room. „ _That was very fast. Faster than I thought, it would go."_ Richard thought as he shut the door behind. Hopefully, the two of them won't be too loud. He does NOT want to hear that.

„PIKACHU? BUDDY, A LITTLE HELP HERE?!" Ash desperately tried to find any help. Cynthia, on the other hand, had enough and threw her black coat away, leaving her in a white shirt and black trousers. She immediately went back to kissing Ash with unbridled passion.

„ _Hmm... I wonder how humans mate. There sure are some differences. Seems like I am about to find that out."_ Pikachu put his paw under his chin, tapped his foot on the floor, deep in thought, not minding his trainer is at the mercy of one very lustful blonde.

As saliva was exchanged between the long-bearded Aura Guardian and the Kanto Champion, Ash tried to pull Cynthia off him. But his brain was not working as it should, and his cock between his legs was taking a wheel for thinking. He really will not hold out too long before he himself loses control. He feels his will getting weak and his manhood waking up, getting stronger. Why does he even kiss her back?! Why is it so hard to resist?!

Cynthia is pressing her entire body onto him making sure he feel every curve, and her gentle hands were sneakily undoing the knot that holds his cloak together around his neck. With the remaining brain cells that stayed in his head and did not travel between his legs, he shouted in his mind.

„ _Mewtwo! Come to me and get Cynthia off me! No questions asked!"_ Ash tried to contact him.

Something was clouding his mind more and more. His right hand was on her hip and he couldn't bring himself to push her back. Thankfully, Mewtwo teleported just in time into the Ketchum household.

The clone Pokemon was awake at the Haven and waited for the right time to teleport everyone to the Ketchum's, and right after it, go to Professor Oak so Ash can get his license back and leave his Pokemon at the lab again. The last thing he expected was Ash to desperately yell to pull Cynthia off him.

With shrug of his shoulders, he teleported to Ash's location. Initially, he was surprised to see Ash pinned on the floor by Cynthia. After all, Ash is more than strong enough to push her off himself, so asking him to do it is rather strange. The fact they were kissing indicated that he should probably not interfere. Just to be sure, he read Cynthia's mind, to see if everything is alright.

„ _Finally! Ash is all mine! I will not let him out of my grasp for even a second! That cock is MINE! MINE!"_

Mewtwo's eyes widened and blinked a few times in quick succession. That... is not what he expected. Especially the crazy possessive nature in which she thought about this. And seeing Cynthia shredding Ash's dark green cloak and his black shirt, he already spotted her crazy thoughts projected into her behavior.

 _No questions asked_

Yeah, now he sees why. Deciding to listen to Ash, he trapped Cynthia in Psychic, just as her hand was sneaking her way into Ash's trousers, and lifted her up.

„ _Come on Mewtwo! I was on the verge of the greatest Pokemon discovery!"_ Pikachu yelled out at his friend. So the yellow rodent is here too. Why didn't he help, Mewtwo thought.

„ _And what is that discovery?"_ Mewtwo cocked his eyebrow.

„ _The way how humans mate!"_ Pikachu frowned, still mad at Mewtwo.

„ _I believe they mate the same as Pokemon. Penis goe-„_

„ _Forget I said anything."_ Pikachu facepalmed.

Meanwhile, Cynthia got really mad. She eyed Mewtwo with an angry face and deadly aura could be felt all the way to Haven from her. Mewtwo caught wind of it and turned back to the blonde woman, who was now levitating above Ash, who was trying to recollect himself and his thoughts.

Ash blinked a few times. That was... intense. For a moment he even forgot he called Mewtwo here. „Thanks, Mewtwo." Ash slowly got up. The Aura Guardian looked at the Cynthia who was giving both him and Mewtwo a death glare.

„ _How am I supposed to calm her down?! How am I supposed to calm MYSELF?!"_

He found out from Richard that Aura Guardians tend to marry before they will jump to bed. It wasn't that surprising since the order of Aura Guardians is ancient and they tend to stick to traditions. And since his father doesn't want to be one, he is the only one who can restore the Aura Guardians with all the proper steps to take. But if this goes on, she will be riding him before he could even think of how it happened. Let alone propose to her and marry her.

So, what's the solution?

Ash got an answer from his father later on. It involved Cynthia tied up on his bed, and him... let's say massaging her body in the right parts. Apparently, this way he should calm her down at least for today. Thankfully for him, it wasn't that hard to bring Cynthia over the edge. That was thanks to another thing he found out from his father. The mark causes her body to be very responsive to his touch. Add to the fact Aura Guardian's spouses in heat tend to be more sensitive, he didn't even need to undress her. Few rubs over her panties coupled with passionate kiss did the trick.

He nearly lost control there. The sight of Cynthia tied up on his bed squirming was burnt into his brains, with her pleading to finally touch her. The only thing that was stopping him was Pikachu, who he could sense behind the door. For some reason, she seemed even more excited when he tied her up, which got him more excited too. And especially her ear-piercing scream when she was finished. He is sure his father had to hear this, if not their neighbors. Thankfully, Cynthia has some clothes here in the house, so she changed from her soaked underwear, and got back to Ash's side almost immediately.

So now, Cynthia is relatively normal. She shows her affection with a chaste kiss and clinging to his arm. And for Ash, this was more comfortable, so he gladly returned the affection.

Ash, Cynthia, Pikachu, and Mewtwo were outside, decorating the house with Christmas lights and Richard stayed in the bedroom with Delia. Seeing him immediately after she wakes up should make her believe that what happened behind the house, is indeed real. They came back.

Time moved slowly, but Richard was patient. He waited for this eleven years. Man, eleven years. That's a long, long time. Yet, those eleven years are not even present on his wife. He truly looks the same as when he died, but that was understandable. HOwever she should be different. There were some signs of maturity on her, but he could swear she looked the same as she did eleven years ago. Except for the signs of tears that were still present on her face.

After what felt like an eternity, Delia was finally moving. Richard, sitting on the bed beside her, didn't know what to say to her when she was slowly lifting her body from the bed. What can you say to this? So he did what he did before.

As soon as she sat down, Richard hugged her tightly, before Delia could even rub her eyes from tiredness.

„It's real Delia. The hug is real. We are back. I know it's a lot to take in, but please stay with me and I'll explain."

Delia's tired eyes widened when she heard that voice. And felt that hug. „ _Delia, don't believe it. Don't believe it. This is another dream. Don't get attached to this world, because you will wake up into the world without them again."_ But despite that, her heart couldn't refuse. Even if this is a dream, she missed this so much. The brain was telling her to let go, but her heart stayed in her dreamland. She tried to fight this dream off in the dream behind their house. But right now, she just didn't want to deny the dream, but embrace it.

„Richard..." she mumbled.

„Delia, I will explain," Richard told her hastily and pulled her away so they were face to face. Richard then began his long explanation on how this came to be. He didn't want to waste any time because if he did, he was afraid that Delia would again cry herself to sleep if he didn't explain quickly.

He started with the way he was brought back to life. And shortly after, he explained what Ash did, and why he is alive. And that he is decorating the house with Cynthia right now.

„Delia, it's real. All of this is reality. Please, believe me." Richard tried to reason with Delia.

Delia sat awestruck on her bed. This all isn't helping to convince her this isn't a dream. Arceus summoning Ash so he could deal with Team Rocket. Three-year training. Ash getting tortured. Ash getting his hand cut off. Basically kidnapping Cynthia. Falling in love. It all seemed so impossible.

But somehow, this felt different from her dreams. Richard or even Ash tried to reassure her they came back, but never to this extent. Or maybe it's her hope for things to go back as they were that caused her to start to believe this whole ridiculous story.

Suddenly, Richard kissed her. Briefly. Her eyes widened in surprise for a single moment. „Do you believe me now?" Richard asked, with a tone full of hope.

„I... I don't know anymore." Delia managed to say. It happened so many times already, she has trouble differentiate reality and a dream.

„Just come with me and you'll see." Richard stood from the bed, offered Delia's his hand. Delia hesitated, but in the end, she grabbed his hand and he leads her outside of the house.

The second reunion between Ash and Delia was quite awkward at first. Delia looked for any signs of her son in the man, but the only same feature she found were jet black hair. Not even his voice is the same. She heard how Aura Guardian bodies change, but this was a drastic change. Then there was his missing hand. When they stared at each other, Ash approached his mom and hugged her tightly. And just like his father, he tried to convince her that this is real. And when even Cynthia tried to convince her, she finally let go. Her boys are back. Hopefully. Though she still has a tone of questions.

* * *

The day went on, and the believability of the fact her boys are back was becoming more and more real with her.

And when the evening came, Delia knew, without a doubt, that her dream became a reality. She hugged both Ash and Richard as they were decorating a house out of nowhere. The two men smiled and hugged her back.

Ash received a tone of questions regarding him and Cynthia. After it, they gave themselves a break from decorating the house, and sat around the table, talking and sipping tea occasionally. Delia interrogated Ash and Cynthia and how exactly they got together.

Ash decided to tell his mom the truth. To say she was shocked when she found out Cynthia healed him in Pallet Town would be an understatement. Delia squealed several times during the story. Richard and Ash were really glad, that Delia was finally acting as they remembered her. An enthusiastic mother.

„So tell me you two, did you two had sex?" Delia asked out of nowhere. Both Ash and Cynthia spat out the tea that was in their mouth.

„MOM?! What is that question supposed to mean?!" Asked Ash, in a harsh tone. His voice got deep and kinda scary, but it didn't faze his mom. At all. Ash's mom still knows how to tickle his nerves. And blushing Cynthia, on the other hand, eyed Ash with a hungry look in her eye.

„I hope you didn't use protection." Delia continued, not fazed by Ash's outburst at all.

„Wha- WAIT! Did you say you hoped we did NOT use protection?! Aren't you supposed to hope we DID?" Ash asked with a raised eyebrow and a really confused face. Not that it mattered, since they didn't get that far, but still.

„I am not getting any younger, and I want ton of grandchildren." Delia shrugged her shoulders like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

Richard, sitting on a chair near Delia, laughed. „Like protection would help."

„Right, forgot about that." Delia chuckled.

„What do you mean?" Cynthia managed to tear her eyes of her beloved and pay attention to the table.

Richard sighed and looked at the blonde Champion. „I told Ash many times that Aura Guardian bodies are enhanced. Skin is harder to pierce. Muscles are more flexible and tougher. Bones are denser. Larger lung capacity, faster digestive system, quicker heartbeat, blood flow and more. Guess which system got enhanced the most by Aura when Aura is tightly connected to emotions, and primarily to love?" Asked Richard.

„Reproductive system." Ash quietly said.

„Smart boy. So let me clear this up for you so you won't be surprised if you two use protection and Cynthia will still get pregnant. You have to understand, that BOTH yours and Cynthia's reproductive systems got enhanced. Aura Guardian's sperm cells are enhanced greatly. They are faster, stronger, more durable and can survive for a very long time. Human sperm cells in womb last 5 days. Sperm cells of Aura Guardian's can last up to 40 days. Then there are the women with Curse Mark, who ovulate every week instead of the usual 28 days." Richard explained.

„But there are ways to prevent sperm from reaching the egg. And even ways to prevent the egg from being released from ovaries." Cynthia added.

„She really is a smart one." Richard smiled at Cynthia.

„There certainly are. But we have it tested. None works. Not even two layers of latex, pills and the fact Richard pulled out stopped your boyfriend over there from making a nest out of my womb for the next 11 months. Just a drop of that stuff is more than enough to make you pregnant." Delia said jokingly pointing at Ash.

„Wait, really?!" Ash asked in disbelief. Not the most pleasant thing to hear from parents, but when you are different from everyone else, you just have to suck it up, and listen.

„Yes. We were aware of the fact it wouldn't work most likely, but we wanted to test it so we can share what the results were with you in the future if you would want to wait for kids. In Rota there are not many methods of contraception, so when I arrived here and saw so many options, I wanted to see if there is a way to prevent the pregnancy of my loved one. Surprisingly, not even modern methods can stop Aura Guardians from reproducing with their soulmates. And since you are trained Aura Guardian with tremendous power and affinity to Aura, I have a feeling that for you this applies twice as much." Richard said.

It was truly amazing how even one Aura Guardian has approximately 9 children, they still were dying out fast. How Rota could stop those 9 children from ever finding love and continue their line. It was sad, but it is thanks to the fact that even one Aura Guardian has a lot of children that they survived for so long even under the hands of the royal family.

Richard knows why Aura Guardians stayed, but still. If he would lead them, he would take every Aura Guardian and left. Royal family can share the ugly truth about them and their origin all they want, he doesn't care. Even if the truth got out, it is still more likely they would find love outside of Rota, than in it.

This got Aash thinking. So... as soon as he and Cynthia will get to bed, a baby happens. Well, that should make waiting for the wedding night easier. Cynthia didn't strike him as the kind of girl who would want kids soon. Even though her hormones, she should still be smart enough to know this is a bad idea. Ash turned to Cynthia, and again, he was terrified when he saw her expression. She wasn't repulsed by the idea at all. Quite the opposite actually. She gave him a sultry look, licked her lips and leaned towards his face.

„Are you ready to revive your ancient lineage?" she asked seductively in a quiet sensual voice. It was like an angel was trying to seduce him. Well, not an angel. Innocent angel, she was before. Now she is more like a succubus, trying to get into his pants through any means necessary not caring his parents are right in front of them. Ash lost his composure there and leaned back, trying to get some distance between him and Cynthia. „ _I didn't sign up for this! This is not good! Not good at all!"_

„Now that's a spirit!" Delia enthusiastically screamed.

„MOM!"

* * *

The Oaks with Tracey got dressed up and they finally went to Delia for the Christmas dinner. Gary and professor brought their black winter coats from their wardrobes and Tracey pulled out his orange winter jacket. Daisy put her lab coat on the hook and she wore a purple jacket.

All three of them walked down the snowy dirt path leading to Delia's house. And once they were near Delia's house decorated by Christmas lights, they spotted Brock and Lucy, walking to them in the distance, illuminated by the street lamps. Holding hands they waved at the Oaks and Tracey from the distance. The group in front of the house waved back and before they knew it, the couple reached them.

„If it isn't the famous doctor Harrison and his lovely fiance, Lucy from the Battle Pike," Gary smirked at the young couple.

„Nice to see you too, Gary." Lucy smiled.

„Hi, Gare-bare." Brock teased. And it worked, Gary released an angry grunt. Daisy, Tracey, and professor greeted the couple with a normal hi. With the introductions over, they all headed to the door, not having a clue about the big surprise waiting for them inside.

All looked normal when Cynthia opened the door for them. Seeing Delia cooking in the kitchen, everything was still normal. However, the surprise came when they reached the kitchen and saw two unknown men sitting at the table. For the most part, they were unknown. Samuel recognized one immediately.

„No way." He quietly said when he saw the man with black hair, red jacket and brown eyes at the table.

Hearing the professor, Richard turned his head to the right and gave the professor a big smile. „Long time no see, Samuel." Richard stood up from the chair and walked to confused people at the doorway. "And you two must be Gary and Daisy. Damn, you sure grew up. You are a spitting image of your father, Gary." Richard examined the two younger Oak's.

Richard then shifted his attention to the remaining 3 people. And seeing a couple and a single man in front of him, he quickly pieced together who was who. „Tracey, Brock, and Lucy. Nice to meet you too." Richard said and extended his hand towards them.

„Uhm... Excuse me, but who are you?" Lucy asked unsurely. Brock, however, spotted the similarities immediately. It was hard to not to when he traveled with Ash for so long. He looked like his grown-up version.

„Ash?" Brock whispered. In response, the man in front of him chuckled.

„Not quite." He said and he turned to the second unknown person at the table. The other person raised from the spot and walked up to the visitors. „I am Ash, Brock. Nice to see that you finally found someone." Ash said to the visitors, extending his hand towards Brock and Lucy.

„WHAT IS GOING ON?!" Gary yelled out. There is no way this is true. The guy in front of him looks 30 years old with an unruly beard and long hair. And who the fuck is that Ash clone? It's a grown-up version of him. If anyone is Ash, it's this guy.

„Excuse me, but who are you?" Daisy was first to recover from her shock, and she looked at the man who looked like a grown-up version of Ash Ketchum.

„Where are my manners?! Richard Ketchum. Nice to meet you, Daisy." Richard extended his hand towards the only female Oak.

Great chaos unfolded shortly after. Gary was yelling all over the place on WTF is going on. Daisy remained wide-eyed and silent. Tracey was already running through scenarios to explain this situation. Brock and Professor Oak immediately showered the two men with a ton of questions. Lucy only watched everything unfold.

At the end, when everything calmed down, the others sat around the table and had a dinner. The atmosphere at the table was... interesting to say at least. Brock was catching up with Ash upon the things he missed with a big smile on his face. Brock even offered Ash to be his best man on the wedding. Of course, Ash happily accepted. Though Cynthia, who was clinging to his arm even at the dinner, was much happier and whispered something into Ash's ears that made him lose his composure for a moment and choke on the wine they were drinking.

Gary was demanding answered during the dinner. But not to the questions you would think, like why did he change so much, where did he lose his hands or those type of questions didn't leave his mouth. His main concern was how Ashy-boy could land such a chick as the Kanto Champion herself.

Tracey didn't ask much during the dinner. He only exchanged a couple of words with Ash and Richard. But most of the time he was seen talking to Daisy about things regarding the research at the lab.

Cynthia was usually whispering something to Ash's ear which caused the young Aura Guardian to do a lot of unusual things. He shattered his glass with his grip when Cynthia whispered something to his ear, then he cut through the plate and more clumsy behavior was the result of Cynthia's whispering.

When Cynthia wasn't seducing Ash with naughty whispers, she conversed with Lucy and how Lucy is excited about the wedding. Thankfully for Ash, the girls coversed a very long time about the wedding, sparing Delia's plates and glasses from more accidents.

The oldest people at the table, Delia, Samuel, and Richard all were catching up on things. Richard shared his experience with Ash at the Haven, and the hunt on Team Rocket.

Even Pikachu and were present, eating with everyone at the table. The rest of Ash's Pokemon are already at the lab thanks to Mewtwo, and he intends to go to them after the dinner to wish them Merry Christmas too. He would invite them into the house, but... they wouldn't fit in. So they stayed at the lab, for now.

All in all, the atmosphere at the table eventually became great, and everyone was enjoying the family dinner. The television was playing during the dinner, and in the middle of eating, a broadcast that caught their attention began playing.

„ **And it's here boys and girls. The winner of Unova championship is known, and his name is Alder! This middle-aged man swept through the conference with his Buffalo, leaving everyone surprised at the strength of the bull Pokemon. The next championship is happening in Kalos, and it's in just a month. But I am worried it gets overshadowed by the event that happens only two months after Kalos conference. The Omega Championship. It is reported that already over 1000 participants are signed up for the biggest tournament in history..."** the TV reported continued speaking, but most of the people at the table already paid attention to Ash.

„So Ash. Are you gonna enter?" Brock asked his friend.

„I don't know." He answered truthfully. A tournament. Could he go back to regular Pokemon battles? For the last three years, everything, every battle was the matter of life and death. Battling for enjoyment again, it's something he can't even imagine.

„Really, Ashy-boy? If you won't be there, it will be pretty boring. And I want a rematch for a Johto league." Gary confidently said.

„You are entering?" Ash asked.

„Of course. This is an option to quit my Pokemon trainer career with a bang. And I intend to take it." Gary said, puffing his chest.

„Me and Cynthia are entering too." Lucy informed the others. All eyes were now at Ash, silently forcing him to answer. Cynthia looked at Ash, and her mind came with another naughty idea.

„Come on, beloved. Show the world who is the best and conquer everyone." She said with a coy smile. She leaned towards his ear and whispered. „ _And then you can conquer ME in bed. In every way you see fit."_ And this sensual whisper caused another wine glass to be shattered by Ash's grip.

„That's the fourth one! What in the hell is she whispering to your ear?!" asked annoyed Gary.

Ash didn't listen to Gary and only thought about what Cynthia said. Why is she even doing this?! Is she that horny again? With a quick shook of head he shook off those thoughts to spare him from uninvited erection.

Instead, he thought about the tournament. Well, his Pokemon always were eager to fight. They shared his dream after all. If his Pokemon want, he will enter. Maybe this can rekindle his passion for Pokemon battles. And his Pokemon are always up for battles, to show the world who is the very best. The decision was made. He conjured a smile and asked.

„So. When exactly it starts?"

* * *

 **Author's note: Done. Now to some notes about the future.**

 **As you can see, this chapter was more light hearted, and this type of tone should be preserved through the sequel. that's the first thing I want to inform you about.**

 **Second, I have no idea when I will start writing a sequel. I am glad I finished this, because frankly speaking, I was sick of writing this. I hate how my previous chapters were, and I just felt like I am finishing a piece of shit.**

 **However, since this story had so many fans, I felt responsible to finish this story. So here it is. I hope that the sequel will come out better than this story, and it will be joy to write again. Right now, I will be focusing on my Goblin Slayer fanfiction, so if you are a fan of what I am doing here, you can check that out.**

 **I want to thank all the follows, favorites and reviews, because without you guys, this story would end after chapter 20 or somewhere there. So thank you from the bottom of my heart, and I hope you at least enjoyed the finale of this story.**

 **Some even pointed out that as I was finshing writing this, the quality dropped. Well, now you my know why. It wasn't the passion that was driving me to finish this, but obligation to you guys. So that's why the quality probably dropped, and I am sorry about that.**

 **Anyway, this is all from me. Thanks for everything, and see you at the sequel, or at the Goblin Slayer fanfic. Take care.**

 **That's all from me. Faptime's out.**


End file.
